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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive November 19-25 2006 | ||||||||||
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Saturday November 25, 2006 |
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Cyber-shopping has turned out to be a frustrating
experience for many who tried to access Web sites
operated by Wal-Mart and Walt Disney Friday.
For much of Friday morning, many people who attempted to open Walmart.com were greeted with blank pages, delays or other problems. By early afternoon, visitors were simply told to come back later. A spokeswoman for the Wal-mart Web site blames a "higher than anticipated traffic surge." Millions of people are expected to shop online starting this weekend. The Monday after Thanksgiving, also known as "Cyber Monday," is expected to be one of the year's biggest online holiday shopping days. That's because people returning to work will shop online using their office computers. |
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Fresh off their New England title game victory, the
town’s Pee-Wee football players are ready to score a
touchdown of Super Bowl proportions.
Head coach Paul Athy said he’s "elated" for his team
after their 24-14 win yesterday, but "now we’re in
scramble mode for funding and logistics," he said.
Pop Warner parent Andy Porter, who has spearheaded
fund-raising efforts to get the team of 24 and their
six coaches to Disney, invited anyone interested to
make a tax-deductible contribution. He said supporters
can contact him at 508-429-4754 or e-mail totf@aol.com
to make a donation.
A key fund-raising effort, Porter said, is going to be
a live telethon Tuesday night from 7 to 10 p.m. that
will be broadcast on channel 8, Holliston’s local
cable station. "The idea is to keep the phone ringing
-- $5, $10, whatever you can spare," said Porter, the
"voice" of Holliston Pop Warner, whose son, Zack, is
on the team.
While some local businesses have expressed interest in
being corporate sponsors who will match money raised,
Porter said he is counting on more monetary support
from the community. "We want to make sure we leave no
player and no family behind," he said.
While a fund-raising committee met last night to
discuss new ideas, Porter said his other plans
included having the team participate in the town’s
Holiday Stroll, and collecting cash at Gillette
Stadium tomorrow.
Making it to the national championships was
"unplanned, unbudgeted and unprecedented" Bellomo
said.
Top teams from the country’s eight geographical
regions will face off in the national Pop Warner Super
Bowl.
"This is something that’s never happened here and
probably won’t happen again in the near future," he
said. "We can’t not pull this off."
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Not all of the popular American Girls -- the high-end
dolls with the elaborate back stories -- start out
totally sweet-natured, devoted to do-gooding and
sensitive to all that is wrong in the world.
"Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front," the third in a series of TV movies based on the dolls (airing tomorrow at 8 on the Disney Channel), begins with a heroine who is a little cranky about her life in a small town during World War II. Molly doesn't like that dinner "rations" come in the form of dreaded turnips. She's petulant about her doctor father's decision to enlist. She's annoyed by, rather than sympathetic to, the widowed next-door neighbor who talks incessantly about her son, who is serving overseas. But that's only the beginning of Molly's story, and over the course of several months, this true-blue "American Girl" learns compassion, self-empowerment and the true meaning of sacrifice. First, though, a warning: For all the cheerful red packaging and beautiful dress-up outfits, the whole American Girl doll enterprise is rooted in real-life history, and history has not always been as pretty as these nearly $100 dolls. The films -- which are live-action, with child actors bringing the dolls to life -- are based on the storybooks that come with each of the classic girls. In the first two American Girl movies, built around two of the line's most popular dolls, Samantha and Felicity, children are orphaned, relatives die, poor little girls eke out a living by working in a sweatshop. Molly is no exception; war, of course, is ugly. Scary telegrams arrive. Sympathy casseroles are baked. In this reviewer's house, an 8-year-old watching the film cried three times before the happy ending arrived. But back to the story. Living in Jefferson, Ill., in 1943, Molly McIntire (played by newcomer Maya Ritter) is a smart, slightly gawky 9-year-old with brown braids and glasses and two devoted best friends. She worships her teacher, the beautiful Miss Campbell (Sarah Manninen), and daydreams about Campbell's upcoming wedding to a handsome soldier. One of her favorite pastimes is going to the movies (which are punctuated by sobering newsreels about the war) and she lives in a comfortable, upper-middle-class home. Her primary goal is to win the coveted role of Miss Liberty in her school's annual dance production, an achievement that might lead to performances at veterans' rallies and USO shows. In an early scene, her idea of doing "our part for the war effort," as Molly puts it to her friends, is ordering Cherry Cokes at the local soda shop because the ice cream rations have run out. She's not a bad kid, by any stretch -- she's just living in an insular world, where the war seems far from real. Only then Dad (David Aaron Barker) decides he must use his medical skills to help injured soldiers at the front. Mom (distractingly played by Molly Ringwald) consequently has to get a job at an airplane assembly factory. Bad news starts arriving. More and more blackout drills are endured. Suddenly, the newsreels at the movie theater bring tears to her eyes. The biggest impact on Molly's outlook, though, is brought about by a newcomer to the McIntire household: Emily Bennett, a refugee from England who has come to America for the duration of the war. Played by porcelain-doll beautiful Tory Green, sweet Emily, with her tragic history, provides the friendship that transforms Molly and her friends as they struggle to be normal little girls in a time when so much is not normal in the world. Overall, the film feels less educational -- and more one-note -- than the previous two "American Girl" productions. But while life on the U.S. home front circa 1943 is not much like that in 2006, "Molly" does introduce its young viewers to the sacrifice and suffering that soldiers' loved ones endure in wartime. And that's a valuable lesson for anytime. |
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A girl who suffers from a rare disease and is not
expected to live beyond her ninth birthday is to enjoy
a dream holiday to Disneyland after a fundraising
drive by friends.
Four-year-old Katie Hogg from Elphinstone, near Tranent, has Batten's Disease, an incurable condition which gradually destroys movement, sight and speech. The plucky youngster is confined to a wheelchair, cannot speak and has to be fed through a tube into her stomach, yet still manages to attend a mainstream nursery. Now friends of Katie's mum Charlene, 20, have raised £2910 to send the pair to Disneyland, Paris, along with Charlene's fiance Derek Lusk, 19, and her sister Jodie, ten. Today, Charlene told how Katie, whose room is filled with Disney toys and DVDs, was looking forward to meeting Cinderella during her trip to Disneyland in January. Charlene, a full-time mum, said: "It means Katie can get her wish granted to meet Disney princesses in Disneyland and so she can enjoy herself for five days and be a normal child. "She can't speak but she smiles when I mention it. "It will be her first time on a plane." Katie was diagnosed with the disease in July after a series of severe epileptic fits left her on the brink of death. After her first birthday her family noticed a squint in her eye and she began stumbling into furniture. Then Katie began having seizures which severely taxed her heart and a CT scan showed that her brain had shrunk. Eventually she was diagnosed with Batten's disease, from which sufferers generally die before reaching their teens. Her mum said: "Doctors say Katie's outlook is not very good. She's likely to reach an age of between six and nine and will probably not make it to her teens." Generous friends raised the money for the holiday through three fundraising events, including an Ann Summers night, a seven-mile sponsored walk and a race night in a local pub. They presented Charlene with flowers and a card containing the dates and details of the trip at Macmerry Miners' Club in Macmerry, Tranent, at the end of last week. "Friday was quite an emotional night," said Charlene. "I can't thank people enough - all those who gave donations, shops who sponsored us and my friends who organised it." She added that Katie was already very excited about going to meet her Disney favourites. The youngster manages to go to a mainstream nursery in Musselburgh, although she has to be pushed in a buggy-style wheelchair and is fed through a tube in her stomach. Katie's seizures stopped for a while after her diagnosis but lately her health has dipped again and her fits have returned. Charlene's friend Linda Bishop, 36, herself a full-time carer for her disabled son, spearheaded the fundraising efforts, with the race night raising the most money at just under £1000. She said: "Katie is very ill and one of Charlene's dreams was to take her to Disneyland so myself and four friends set about helping. "Katie has good and bad days. She's a very loveable girl. "She's a wee happy soul, who sits and laughs. "The family has a very worrying time when she's not well." |
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Young
sailors get taste of Hawai'i
Roy Disney went surfing with Duke Kahanamoku when he was 8 years old and has had a love affair with the ocean in Hawai'i ever since. Now, he's trying to pass something of that passion on to young people across the country. At Sand Island yesterday, the 77-year-old Disney watched proudly as 14 youths hand-picked to crew in next year's Transpacific Yacht Race to Honolulu got their first taste of sailing in local waters, doing it under the tutelage of navigator Nainoa Thompson on the most venerable of Hawaiian vessels, the twin-hull canoe Hokule'a.
Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney, is the driving force behind Morning Light, a project to pick, train, finance and film the youngest crew ever to participate in a Transpac race. When the race begins next year in Los Angeles, the crew's average age will be less than 21. This weekend, crew members from across the country got together for the first time in Hawai'i, meeting with Thompson to learn about ancient Pacific voyaging techniques and what they have meant to a proud revival of the Hawaiian traditions in a modern era. The crew planned to spend several days sailing aboard Hokule'a, break for the Christmas holidays, then return to Honolulu in January for what promises to be six months of vigorous training aboard their own boat, the Morning Light. While it might seem at first glance that the multimillion-dollar, high-tech boats of the Transpacific Yacht Race don't have anything in common with traditional Hawaiian sailing canoes that navigate by the stars, nearly everyone involved will say differently. "They're more similar than you think," Thompson said as the crew readied Hokule'a for an afternoon sail toward Waikiki. "We come from very different cultures, but there's a shared love of the sea, a passion for sailing, and a desire to pass that knowledge on to the next generation." Crew members, who were picked from among 500 worldwide applicants earlier this year and flew together to Hawai'i on Disney's personal jet, yesterday seemed eager to get their feet wet in Hawaiian waters and to start getting to know one another as only those alone on an ocean can. "It's cool to see that science of the boat, but it's so much more than that," said Chris Schubert, 21, a crew member who started sailing with his parents at 3 weeks old and now is a student at the U.S. Naval Academy. "There will be a hundred new experiences coming at us all at once, but the biggest thing is we'll be starting to work together," he said. Mark Towill, a 17-year-old Punahou student and the only Hawai'i member of the crew, said that's exactly what he thinks will happen. "I learned from sailing on the Hokule'a that you get on as friends and get off as family," said Towill, who sailed with Thompson to Kaua'i earlier this year. "Sailing on the Hokule'a has been a very important part of my life, and I'm hoping to share that experience with all the others here now." Although Disney has been coming to Hawai'i for decades and sailed in the Transpac himself at least 16 times, he had never met Thompson until Towill introduced them over dinner a few months ago. "We both realized that we have this deep respect for the ocean and a passion for sailing, and that we're interested in teaching young people," Disney said. "It just seemed natural to bring these two projects together, and we're grateful that we could wrangle three days with Nainoa helping our crew." Thompson said that Disney's efforts mirror his own philosophy of bringing people together through sailing. "It seems like the world builds its own difficulties out of differences," Thompson said. "Now, we're coming together to go sailing. It's a small microcosm of the way things could be." |
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Friday November 24, 2006 |
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Walt Disney Co. agreed Tuesday to release movies for
use on cable television as soon as 15 days after their
release on DVD.
The arrangement covers an unspecified number of films by Disney Pictures, Touchstone and Miramax and comes as part as of a long-term content pact between Disney and Comcast Corp., the country's largest cable operator. The agreement follows Disney's recent pact to offer movies over Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes at the same time as it releases DVDs, signaling that Disney might be anticipating the DVD cash-cow soon will be supplanted by other means of reaching viewers. "It's yet another example of Disney remaining in the forefront of distribution over all platforms," said industry analyst Laura Martin of Soleil/Media Metrics. The new movies could take as long as 45 days to reach Comcast viewers for $3.99 a showing, a Comcast spokeswoman said. Older movies will be available for $2.99. The Disney contract, which was years in the making and had been anticipated for weeks, also calls for the company to offer some of the ABC network's prime-time hits and news shows for free on-demand viewing in cities where ABC owns stations outright in Comcast territory, such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia. Some ESPN, Disney Channel and other Disney-controlled cable programming also will be offered for free viewing. Comcast has a similar deal with NBC programs where that network owns stations, and a deal for CBS shows was expanded in September to reach all Comcast subscribers. The prime-time ABC shows are "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and two new shows next fall. Disney already offers the first two programs for computer viewing via iTunes and at ABC.com. |
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Family Awarded Dream Vacation as part of "Year of a
Million Dreams"
 A
simple tap on the shoulder was all it took for the
Hawkins family (standing far left, wearing mouse ears:
Timothy and Rahiza Hawkins, and their two-year-old
daughter Savannah) of Miramar, Fla. to win a dream
vacation to Walt Disney World Resort as part of
Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams." As they exited
the Spaceship Earth attraction in Epcot on Nov. 22,
2006, they were randomly chosen by a member of the
Disney "Dream Squad" to receive the vacation for four
to return to Walt Disney World Resort, valued at more
than $5,000. The Hawkins also were named "Grand
Marshals" for the day at Epcot and (pictured) taken on
a VIP ride, high atop a double-decker bus, through the
park with the Disney characters. |
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Walt Disney buys Hungama TV for USD 31.12 mn
Walt Disney has acquired the entire shareholding of
United Home Entertainment (Hungama TV) at an
enterprise value of USD 31.12 million from UTV
Software (Q, N,C,F)* Communications. |
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National Turkey is Thanksgiving Day Star
Disneyland dreams aren’t just for people. Yesterday, for the second consecutive year, a Thanksgiving dream came true for the National Thanksgiving Turkey that was pardoned by President George W. Bush on Wednesday at a White House Rose Garden ceremony.
Flyer,
the pardoned turkey, served as Honorary Grand Marshal
in the Thanksgiving Day parade on
“Once
again,
The
journey for Flyer and Fryer began Wednesday, following
the traditional Presidential pardon. The two turkeys
and Turkey Federation of America Chairman Michael
Briggs were rushed by police escort to
In
addition to the turkeys’ dreams coming true, the
entire Turkey-1 flight crew and passengers enjoyed a
surprise visit from Mickey Mouse who delivered a free
ticket to
The
20-week old tom turkey weighs about 36 pounds and was
raised under Briggs’ direct supervision on a farm
outside
The
National Turkey Federation is the advocate for all
segments of the |
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Disney
TV's VP Animation Mike Moon
Before he joined the executive ranks to oversee development as Vice President, Animation for the Disney ABC Television Group, Mike Moon worked on the other side of the fence for more than 15 years. He’s been an art director, producer, director and animator, winning two Emmys along the way. Now, as he develops shows for the Disney Channel, Jetix, Disney Playhouse and other outlets, does having a creative background help in recognizing ideas and talent that would result in fresh new ideas? “The optimist in me says that it helps me tremendously,” Moon says. “I mean, artists always complain that no one understands them, and I think having that experience certainly helps me as a development executive. I think it probably hurts me as well. But if you look at the last 20 years of television animation, the breakout hits, the ones that really made a difference and changed the landscape, were all things came from an animator, or came from a person with a real singular vision. I think coming from that side of things definitely helps
“I think it's allowed people to think on their toes, and to come up with really inventive looks and styles and techniques of filmmaking that all sort of play into what the resources are. And I think that makes it a really fun arena to play in,” Moon says. “Even when I was on the production side, there was something really fun about having the types of deadlines that are associated with TV production, and not having to rework and rewrite, and spend three years on one story as you often do in the feature world. It's a different way of working.” That’s reflected in the ability of shows such as "South Park" and "The Simpsons" to weave current events into their storylines. Moon credits technology and advances in the animation pipeline with making it possible to incorporate stories that are much more relevant and contemporary than in the past, although at Disney they shy away from things that would date the shows in the future. “But it's a pretty exciting thing that has happened to the art form, especially in the last five years with the advent of things like Flash and [Toon Boom] Harmony, and all these other ways of working,” he says. “ It's not about necessarily doing it cheaper, but it is about bringing the total production time down, which can allow you to be a little bit more relevant. It's really exciting.” Flash in particular has become an accepted tool for television animation, but Moon recalls how only a few years ago Flash was a four-letter word to many studios, even though it's a five-letter word, he notes. “It was the last thing that a lot of studios wanted to be dabbling in,” he says. “But we've really seen it become a creative tool. We produce our show "Yin Yang Yo" in Flash currently. If you watch that show, it's the right tool for that show. It absolutely contributes to the humor, the pacing, and the storytelling. It contributes to how those characters behave, how their dialogue is delivered, and their snappiness. And I love that Flash has become that kind of a tool.” Before the advent of applications such as Flash and Harmony, TV producers lacked flexible options in the production pipeline. That contributed to a more uniform look for animated series, Moon says. “Everything sort of went through a filter, whether
it was Disney or Warner Bros., or whoever. It all
ended up having a kind of sameness to how it looked
and how it moved, because you had the same pipeline
being applied to all these shows." “Each one of those ends up being a variant of the other,” Moon explains. “Depending on the show runner, the show creator, and the production studio that we partner with, it all sort of dictates how that ultimately gets set up. And I think ultimately, it just gives us a great variety. It affects the subtleties of how a character behaves, and how you respond to that character, and how the animators choose to create life in that character beyond just what's on the page and the vocal performance. So I couldn’t be more excited about that kind of stuff.” The Shorty McShort Shorts are a place where fresh new ideas often emerge, because they’re standalone projects that aren’t tied to a series. But Moon says the same spirit of innovation exists throughout the programming lineup “There is a tremendous amount of experimentation in
terms of looks and feels and animation techniques that
we’re testing out in Shorty. But that same
methodology has informed all of our development since
I came over,” he says. “So whether it's Disney Channel
development, or "Shorty McShort Shorts," which is a
sort of sub-section of our Disney Channel development,
or our Jetix development, which is another platform we
develop to, we’re approaching all of them with the
same sense of stylistic choices, animation techniques,
and different types of creators. Storylines are evolving as developers and creators seek new ways to tell stories and push the boundaries to keep audiences for the animated shows interested. Disney’s live-action programming is doing very well, and setting a high standard for the animated shows, Moon says. There’s a concerted effort to exploit the strengths of the medium of animation, and to ensure there’s a reason shows are animated. These explorations have led to some exciting things in the development queue, he says. “Right now with the projects that we’re developing, we’re exploring genres far outside of what you've ever seen us do in the world of TV animation. And really they're tremendously far away from what our competitors are doing as well. It's really great, as we are really thinking and defining what a Disney Channel animated show is. It's really exciting. The only downside is that animation takes so darned long!” Alternative pipelines such as Flash, Harmony, Cell Action and After Effects have produced efficiencies that make it possible to shave significant time compared to a 2D production. But any way you slice it, animation will never be a spontaneous art form the way that live action is. “These projects are going through hundreds of hands. Oftentimes you're doing some of the work here in LA, and then you're shipping it all across the world. You've got God knows how many people touching this stuff. It’s anything but spontaneous,” Moon says. “I've always believed that the fewer people who have their hands in the project, the better it will turn out ultimately, and the closer you get to that singularity of vision which is crucial for any good show. And that is always the thing we try to keep our eyes on in development. The shows that have worked have had one voice driving down them, and it's really important for us to be able to recognize that in the development process and then see it true throughout production.” Moon says he can't wait for the public to start getting a taste of the new programming in development. But in the meantime, there’s a strong lineup in place. The first batch of “Shorty McShort Shorts” is already running, and the next batch will start airing in February or March 2007. “Replacements,” which was launched a few months ago, is doing very well. “Yin Yang Yo” continues to be very popular. Plus, the Playhouse Disney block has "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," which is bringing some CG stuff to the network, and new shows such as "Handy Manny." “So a lot of that is already there, and there is just going to be a lot more,” says Moon. |
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Magic at Disney
"At Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS), the magic is in the earnings," says Richard Moroney, editor of Dow Theory Forecasts (subscription only). Incidentally, Dow Theory, is a "blue chip" in its own right; the newsletter has been published for over 50 years, making it among the longest-running and most successful in the industry. Meanwhile, Disney's blue chip status spreads across all sectors of the entertainment industry, a reach that Moroney says, "allows it to leverage the content from its ubiquitous brands-– such as Disney, ABC, and ESPN - across multiples mediums." A standout among its operations this year has been its films, such as Chronicles of Narnia, Cars, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Overall, he notes, profits of studio entertainment more than tripled, with Pirates alone generating over $1 billion in global box office revenue. These successes, he explains, can now be leveraged to produce additional revenue from merchandise tie-ins, DVDs, the Internet, and potentially, film sequels. He expects that DVD versions of Pirates and Cars , which are should be released over the holiday season, should boost December quarter results. High ratings from its TV lineup, which includes Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Dancing with the Stars and ESPN's Monday Night Football, should also result in increased advertising and licensing deals, he notes. ABC's chief challenge, Moroney notes, is a continued decline in network TV audiences and downtrends in ad revenues. But, he says, to address this problem, Disney is extending distribution of its ABC programs to include new Internet and video channels. For example, he explains, in September, Disney opened up a new revenue stream by selling films on Apple's iTunes platform. More than 500,000 movies sold in the first two months. Granted, this year's strong performance can make comparisons for fiscal 2007 more difficult. Nevertheless, he believes, "Disney's momentum in TV syndication, DVD releases of hit shows and movies, new film releases, and cable network affiliate fees position the company for robust growth even if the economy weakens somewhat." He notes that the company estimates profit growth of 7% in fiscal 2007, but that given the firm's operating momentum, results could "exceed that modest target." The advisor rates the stock as a long-term buy. |
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Thursday
November 23, 2006 |
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Disney
Says E! Sale Worth $800 Million The Walt Disney Co.'s sale of its stake in E! Entertainment Television resulted in a pretax gain of $800 million, the company said Wednesday in an annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Disney sold a 39.5 percent stake in the cable channel to Comcast Corp. for $1.23 billion as part of a long-term distribution agreement announced Tuesday. Prior to purchasing Disney's stake, Comcast held a 60 percent interest in the channel. After taxes, the Disney's gain from the cable channel sale total $500 million, according to the regulatory filing. Disney plans to record the gain in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. |
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Disney shareholders to get less from radio deal Walt Disney Co. shareholders will receive $100 million less than expected from the merger of the company's ABC radio unit with Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Shareholders will get $300 million less cash than originally planned, Las Vegas-based Citadel said. In exchange, they will receive $200 million more stock and own 57% of the new company, up from 52%. "We changed the formula," Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha said. "We agreed to an amendment to facilitate the closing." Citadel renegotiated debt financing for the merger after ABC Radio's sales fell below expectations, Citadel's Chief Financial Officer Farid Suleman said in an Aug. 21 Wall Street Journal story. |
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Disney to distribute about 23 films domestically in
fiscal 2007
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) plans to distribute domestically
about 23 films in the year ending next Sept. 30, the
entertainment and media company said Wednesday in its
annual report.
At the end of its latest fiscal year, Walt Disney said in the filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, it had released domestically 1,566 full-length live-action features, animated features, cartoon shorts and live-action shorts.
That number of films distributed for fiscal 2006
compared with 1,536 films released by Disney in the
U.S. as of Oct. 1, 2005, according to its annual
report for the prior fiscal year.
As reported, the Burbank, Calf., company's fiscal 2006 revenue rose 7.3% to $34 billion, partly due to strong box-office performance of films such as "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" and "Cars," the filing said.
Disney said the fiscal 2007 films planned for U.S.
release comprise 14 feature films under the Walt
Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures banners, and
nine more films under the Miramax label.
Disney shares closed at $32.99 on Wednesday, down 24
cents. The company's shares have risen more than 30%
in value in the past year.
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Disney food fest may feature Malaysian fare Tourism Malaysia here is pushing for a spot at a food festival in Orlando’s Walt Disney World to promote the country’s culinary delights and handicrafts. “We are discussing with them on the concept for the promotion,” Tourism Malaysia’s vice-president Mohamad Taib Ibrahim said. The 45-day International Food and Wine Festival, held annually at the Epcot theme park, is expected to attract 1.5 million visitors next year. Mohamad Taib said Tourism Malaysia would pump in RM2mil to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2007. “As far as branding is concerned, our theme ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ has been very, very successful.” The number of American tourists had gone up by almost 17% to 99,330 in the first half of this year, compared with the same period in 2005, he said. “We are targeting about 200,000 American visitors next year,” he said. Last year, the number came up to 151,354. He said Sabah and Sarawak were the main draw for them, adding that the global attention on China had also led to greater interest in Malaysia. The Americans would stay in Malaysia for about eight nights. They are mostly males (75%), married (68%) and almost two-thirds are first-time visitors. “We also found out that most of them heard about our tourist attractions through word of mouth,” said. According to them, their best impressions of the country were its people, the islands and the natural beauty. Mohamad Daud also described Malaysia Airlines’ decision to maintain its thrice-weekly flights to New York as good news because it would certainly help in the promotional efforts. At present, he said MAS also flies five times a week to Los Angeles. There are plans to introduce daily flights next year. |
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BBC invites Disney musical to Christmas dinner Disney's High School Musical joins a family of UK stalwarts around the BBC dinner table this Christmas, including a number of one-off specials and revisited past classics. Dubbed 'Grease for the Noughties,' the Emmy-winning High School Musical will be singing and dancing its way on to BBC1 for a festive family showing. It will be joined there by Doctor Who, who will re-materialise for a one-off special in which The Doctor (David Tennant) finds himself with a new companion Donna, played by popular UK comedian Catherine Tate. BBC2, meanwhile, reunites the cast of 1990s series This Life for This Life+10 (1x90'), which catches up with the original cast of the cult drama 10 years on. BBC3 features comedy by way of a Tittybangbang Christmas show, titled Happy Chrissytittybangbang, in which the outrageous sketch show offers viewers some equally outrageous festive treats. Ex-Doctor Who sidekick Billie Piper joins Billy Elliott actress Julie Walters for a BBC1 adaptation of author Philip Pullman's The Ruby In The Smoke, in which Piper plays feisty Victorian heroine, Sally Lockhart. Another BBC1 adaptation, Stewart Harcourt's "stylish and sexy" interpretation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, will be performed a cast led by Hustle actor, Marc Warren. Matt Lucas and David Walliams return with a Little Britain special, featuring guest stars Peter Kay, Julia Davis, Dawn French, Steve Coogan and Ronnie Corbett. Lucas will also star on BBC1 in Lee Hall's lavish adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's Wind In The Willows, alongside Bob Hoskins as Badger. Parochial comedy rounds off BBC1's Christmas list, with The Vicar Of Dibley returning Dawn French's vicar to screens amid the sound of wedding bells. Nigella's Christmas Kitchen opens on BBC2, in which the 'domestic goddess' lays out her philosophy for not only coping with, but actively enjoying Christmas cooking. Also on BBC2, 'perfect housewife' Anthea Turner comes to the aid of two hopeless housewives to turn their festive blunders into a winter wonderland in Anthea's Perfect Christmas. Deal Or No Deal host Noel Edmonds joins Keith Chegwin, Maggie Philbin and John Craven for a special BBC2 event as they reunite the names, faces and personalities from 30 years of Saturday morning kids TV. In a two-hour bumper episode of classic format Swap Shop, Edmonds will transport viewers through everything that was "special, funny and unique" about Saturday mornings past. The BBC will also screen a production of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, while the Vienna Philharmonic performs an all-Mozart programme from Saltzburg, all in celebration of the composer's 250th anniversary. The traditional New Year's Day Concert From Vienna is once again broadcast on BBC4 and BBC2, live from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. Parliamentary satire The Thick Of It returns to BBC4 for the tail-end of the Christmas recess, while QI host Stephen Fry takes an affectionate look at the long-running radio drama The Archers in an edition of Arena. Actor Greg Wise heads up the cast in a new adaptation of MR James' classic ghost story Number 13. CBeebies viewers will be able to enjoy new special Christmas episodes of Bob The Builder, Charlie & Lola and Postman Pat, and CBBC viewers can see The Sarah Jane Adventures, a Russell T Davies series starring one of Doctor Who's most famous companions, investigative journalist, Sarah Jane Smith. |
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Disney
Sets Gibson Film Campaign Launch The Walt Disney Co. is set to launch an aggressive marketing and promotion campaign for "Apocalypto," the new project by troubled filmmaker Mel Gibson.
Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook said that between the holiday special and a similar broadcast airing on Univision Nov. 30, he believes moviegoers will look past Gibson's shocking behavior to the quality of the film. "The public is smart enough to differentiate what happens in someone's personal life and their professional life," he said. "And, while we knew the marketing mountains we'd have to go up, you realize the movie is in the hands of someone who has conquered all these obstacles before and succeeded in an extraordinary way." Cook was referring to Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," which came into the marketplace amid controversy and went on to gross more than $370 million at the U.S. box office in 2004. |
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Targus goes to Disney |
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Tokyo Disney Resort faces a whole new world -- without sponsors With thousands of middle-aged women getting around in Mickey Mouse T-shirts, you know there's a strong affinity for Disney here, but Japan's long affinity with Walt's Magical Kingdom appears to be going a bit, well, goofy, according to Cyzo (December). Tokyo Disney Resort -- home to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea -- is going through a Minnie, er, mini-crisis. As the leader of the theme park gang, Tokyo Disney Resort has built up something of a dale in the corporate world, but now chips are being cut into those ties. Just recently, the resort lost a daisy chain of lucrative contracts with Nissan Motor Co., Takara-Tomy, Morinaga, Nihon Suisan, Nihon Hills and Colgate when agreements it had with these top firms all reached their end at the same time. "Becoming an official sponsor with Tokyo Disney Resort means an outlay of anywhere from several hundred million yen to several billion yen every year, depending on the type of attraction involved. It seems like a lot of money, but as there's a policy of only allowing one company per industry to become a sponsor, it's actually quite cost effective advertising for the sponsoring company and wouldn't be considered expensive at all," a business news reporter for a national daily tells Cyzo. "Although the official reason for what's happened with the six big companies that have recently ended their sponsorship agreements with Disney, I think the real reason may have something to do with falling attendances at the resort parks for the past two years." Tokyo Disney Resort marked a peak in visitor numbers in 2003, the 20th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland, with 25.47 million paying to get into the park. The following year, visitor numbers were down slightly to 25.02 million, but by 2005 the figure had dropped to 24.76 million. The 2005 decline was the biggest in the resort's history and also marked the first time ever that visitor numbers had dropped two years in a row. What's more, sponsors for two of Disneyland's most popular attractions -- Splash Mountain and the Western River Railroad -- still haven't been found. Even estimates by experts as parsimonious as Uncle Scrooge say that the missing sponsors could be costing Tokyo Disney Resort as much as 2 billion yen in revenue a year! Oriental Land Co., operator of the Tokyo Disney Resort, is hardly getting mousy over the situation. "We see the current situation as nothing more than a coincidence that all the contracts ended at around the same time," an Oriental Land spokesman tells Cyzo. "Visitor numbers for the first half of this year were 3.3 percent up on the same period for the previous year, so we think things are now moving in the right direction." |
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Decking the Halls at Walt Disney World Resort An
angel holding a globe tops the giant holiday tree high
above the entrance to World Showcase in Epcot, as Disney
cast members Mari Gomez (front) and Dacia Nina (rear)
make final adjustments to the decor. The tree, which
overlooks the 11 country pavilions in World Showcase, is
one of nearly 1,500 holiday trees installed this season
for the holiday celebration taking place across the
40-square-mile Walt Disney World Resort. |
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Disney
Gifts Minnie Mouse in a kimono? How about about a Capt. Jack Sparrow pistol prop that Johnny Depp used in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie? According to Sentinel reporter Scott Powers on the Tourism Central Florida blog, Walt Disney World reports it has more than 300 shops. They manage to tempt money out of visitors not just during the Christmas rush, but all year, mostly offering such fare as Mouse Ear hats, High School Musical T-shirts and Million Dream pins. For Disneyphiles who want slightly more unusual Disney gifts this year, the company also is offering a list of harder-to-find gifts this Christmas season.
The other gifts Disney is touting as hard-to-get or one-of-a-kind include: In Epcot’s China pavilion, a four-inch, imitation-ivory elder statuette, pictured holding a dragon-head cane, peach and scroll, is said to bring power and longevity to its owner, for $18. At Epcot’s The Village Traders, Andrew Mutiso creates African wood and soapstone carvings. Among his artwork is a family sculpture, their arms intertwined to symbolize unity. The piece, made of teak wood and dyed black with leather dye, is carved over four hours with an African tool called a ngomo, for $75.99. A hand-painted and hand-carved wooden Pinocchio in the Italy pavilion at Epcot, with a wooden nose that unscrews and can be lengthened with a variety of attachments, runs $250. A limited-edition crystal replica of Cinderella Castle weighing 42 pounds and standing 20 inches tall, features 28,255 hand-set Swarovski crystals, 23kt gold plates, and hand-applied enamel. The castle, featured at four locations around Walt Disney World Resort including Arribas Brothers in Downtown Disney, comes with a certificate of authenticity for $37,500. |
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Child granted
"Disney World" wish Seven-year-old Estrella “Star” Holguin of Grants is heading to Disney World next month. Sponsored by Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Disney trip is expected to take place in early December and includes her parents Maria and Richard and her sister Beth. “At first she was going to see the Dallas Cowboys,” Richard said. “That's what she wanted, but that didn't came through because it was sold out.” New Mexico Make-A-Wish Manager Andrea Hill in Albuquerque said the Dallas Cowboys wish would have been possible since star is named for the club, but it would have had to occur next year, so Star and her family opted to go to Disney World instead. The Disney trip is one of the most popular so far for children granted a wish through the foundation and typically costs about $5,000. Hill said the trip's sponsor is the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services in Albuquerque, which also plans a luncheon for the child in December. Homebound and mostly home-schooled, Estrella has a desk at Mesa View Elementary, said her father. But Estrella commented she typically does her schoolwork and chores at home, adding they include taking care of her recently acquired kittens “Goldie” and “Honeysuckle.” Estrella was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2006 and immediately began a three-and-a-half-year treatment schedule at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, her mother and father reported. Originally from Texas, the family came to Grants in 2003 to be near other family members. “She gets her bad days and good days,” her father reported. “Of course she lost her hair, but now it's growing back. When she is feeling good, they her let go to school,” he said, but she stays home to avoid infection. “These people go all-out for children that are sick,” he said of Make-A-Wish, but complimented the community of Grants, which has also helped the family. Richard said the Malditos biker club with Mike Trujillo, raised $685 in May, the Legion Riders with Aaron Dean hosted a dance benefit in March and gave them $400 and Mesa View Elementary hosted a sale for Star's benefit. “That money gets used quick, but if it was never for that money … we've never gotten by,” he said. “Many in Grants business in the community, have donated to Estrella for her illness,” he added appreciatively. “They don't do if for recognition, they do it to help people. When they helped us … we didn't know anything and they pointed us in the right direction. They said to go to the businesses. She's got a bank account and Mom has access. “Everything is tough, but from day-to-day, but the people that have helped us, it's great,” he said. “It's amazing that this community has helped us out a lot,” Maria said. “At the same time, we were devastated when we found out.” The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 by community residents in Phoenix, after a little boy named Chris Greicius wished to become a police officer, according to the Make-A-Wish Web site and Wish Manager Andrea Hill. Since then the organization has helped 144,000 children worldwide, and in 2005, the New Mexico chapter granted 90 wishes. It hopes to grant 100 wishes by the year-end and foresees granting its one-thousandth wish by July 2007, Hill said. |
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Cornell Opens Nano Exhibit at Disney's Epcot A world that is too small to see is going to seem a bit bigger when visitors get a chance to interact with, build, play and watch molecules in an interactive exhibit, "Too Small to See," which opened Nov. 18 at Epcot's Innoventions at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. And in mid-May through fall 2007, the arcade-like, 5,000-square-foot museum exhibition, developed by a team led by Carl Batt, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Food Science at Cornell, will be at Ithaca's Sciencenter before traveling throughout the United States. The exhibit, aimed at 8- to 13-year-olds, helps visitors view the world at the atomic scale and to better understand just how small a nanometer -- one billionth of a meter -- is (it is to a meter what 2.5 centimeters are to about two-thirds of the way around the Earth.) To better understand these and other concepts, Epcot visitors can manipulate "atoms" on a vibrating table, magnify a computer chip up to 100,000 times and enter an interactive theater where they can see how on a projection screen their movements affect molecules around them. They can climb around carbon nanotubes, interact with a vibrating crystal and walk through an infinite crystal tunnel. They even can pick up and move atoms using a scaled-up version of the tool that was first employed by scientists at IBM to move atoms. A video that highlights the science behind moving atoms helps to inform visitors of the challenges of working at the nano scale. "All things are made of atoms that are in constant motion, but pictures make it look like everything is frozen in place," said Batt, who directed the project with a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). "We hope visitors to 'Too Small to See' will leave with the notion that everything is moving and at the nanometer scale, science is fun." Batt said that the concepts that served as the basis for the development of the dozen or so interactive, hands-on experiences and video presentations are based on what visitors might already know about things on the nanometer scale. For example, molecules are shown as the iconic "balls and sticks," a model that many visitors might recall from their chemistry lessons in school. "From there you can build on a visitor's recognition of these models and let them experience science and technology at the atomic scale," said Batt. "Important recent discoveries in areas like carbon nanotubes and quantum dots then become more approachable. Everything returns to applications, where visitors can learn about why nanotechnology will be important in areas such as medicine, energy and information technology." The exhibit is a collaboration of Cornell, the Ithaca Sciencenter and Painted Universe, a design/fabrication team in Ithaca. This is the second time that Innoventions at Epcot has housed an exhibit on nanotechnology in collaboration with Batt and other Cornell scientists and supported by NSF. In 2004, "It's a Nano World," which was developed for 5- to 8-year-olds, was on display for six months; it is now in the third year of a national tour. |
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Disney's
'Aida' strays far from Verdi's Giuseppe Verdi probably didn't see this coming. When the great Italian composer created "Aida" in 1871, it immediately was hailed as a masterwork of tragic opera. Since that day, no great soprano's resume has been complete without singing the role of Aida. A century later, at the behest of the Walt Disney company, rock music icon Elton John and the witty lyricist Tim Rice composed a new, populist version of "Aida." They had a proven track record with Disney, having composed the songs for another big hit, "The Lion King." Now a touring production of Disney's "Aida" is afoot in the land, and will set down at York's Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center a week from today. That immediately follows two nights at Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium in State College. Following in the footsteps of some of history's greatest singers is 23-year-old Marja Harmon, an Indiana native and recent college graduate who is making her national musical theater debut in the title role. While an opera diva such as Maria Callas might sniff at the John-Rice concoction, Harmon said it's still a rigorous gig. "It's the most vocally challenging role I have ever done," she said last week during a telephone interview from Knoxville, Tenn., where the show was being staged. Harmon estimated she does about an hour and 20 minutes of singing per night. "And they are all big numbers," she said. "It's not like you can sit back on them." While this "Aida" is still a tale of an ancient Egyptian love triangle, it's been seriously updated as a sort of dream sequence with catchy pop tunes, occasionally anachronistic costumes and machine guns. Other than bare bones plot elements, it has little in common with Verdi's work. But Broadway audiences certainly liked it. The play, which opened in 2000, ran for more than 1,850 performances and earned four Tony Awards, plus a Grammy Award for best score. "'Aida' is not opera," John once told The New York Times. "It's truly a pop musical with spoken dialogue and all kinds of recognizable song types: urban-based rhythm and blues, gospel-inspired songs, ballads, and, of course, 'Crocodile Rock' songs." John and LeAnn Rimes made a hit recording of one of the "Aida" songs, "Written in the Stars." Tina Turner had a modest hit with her version of "Easy as Life," which Deborah Cox also turned into a popular dance remix. |
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Thomas Muller; Quashed Disney Va. Project Thomas Muller, 72, an economist whose study of a proposed Disney development in Prince William County in the 1990s helped kill the project, died of pulmonary fibrosis Oct. 24 at Inova Fairfax Hospital. He lived in Fairfax County. Dr. Muller was a longtime consultant for the local, state and federal governments and co-director of the land use center at the Urban Institute. "Contrary to Disney's, the county's and the state's assertions, Disney will not generate the kind of tax surplus necessary to reduce the county's high tax rate," Dr. Muller said in 1994. He and colleague Michael Siegel, hired by the Piedmont Environmental Council, criticized the corporation's plans and the county's oversight of the proposed 3,000-acre mixed-used complex and theme park. Dr. Muller was an expert witness in major annexation cases in Northern Virginia from 1970 until his death. He testified before congressional committees on urban growth and land use policies. He wrote a number of books, the best-known of which were "Fourth Wave: California's Newest Immigrants" (1984) and "Immigrants and the American City" (1993). Of the latter, the Washington Post Book Review called it "an important and valuable book for policy maker and layman alike." Born in Podolinec, Slovakia, on Oct. 29, 1933, he survived the Holocaust by hiding in the houses of family friends. He moved to the United States after World War II and graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1956. He received a master's degree in operations research from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., in 1961, an MBA from UCLA in 1962 and a doctorate in managerial economics from American University in 1969. A resident of Northern Virginia for more than 40 years, Dr. Muller headed urban research projects for the Systems Development Corp. in Santa Monica, Calif., and then in Falls Church before going to work for the Urban Institute. He formed a consultancy in the 1990s. He also taught part time at American, George Washington and George Mason universities and lectured at Cambridge University. Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Sharon Muller of Fairfax County; three children, Steven Muller and Joseph Muller, both of Los Angeles, and Beth Helman of Ashburn; and a brother. |
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Wednesday November 22, 2006 |
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Theme
parks make splash for holidays As the first wave of holiday crowds hits Orlando this week for Thanksgiving, Central Florida's theme parks are rolling out new attractions and promising improvements to holiday shows. The improvements may be hedges against already positive projections. Some industry observers are expecting another banner holiday season this year to follow up the large Christmas crowds last year, which included record attendance at Walt Disney World. "They get all the business they can handle during Christmas with the Christmas offerings alone. I don't think they need to do any more" to attract people, said Steve Baker, president of the Baker Leisure Group in Orlando. Though the timing may be coincidental to the Christmas season, Walt Disney World is bringing out the big fish -- a new ride and a new stage show both based on Nemo, the hero of the 2003 blockbuster animated movie, Finding Nemo. In addition to outlining its annual Christmas season entertainment and offerings, including some expansions, Disney introduced Epcot's new ride, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, and Disney's Animal Kingdom's new show, Finding Nemo -- The Musical, to media Tuesday. "Having them both come online during the holidays . . . I think those will give great reasons for people to come and visit during the holiday season," Duncan Wardle, Disney World vice president for public relations, told a media gathering. Disney also is slowly bringing another show online, the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club with occasional performances between now and its official premiere in January. Two weeks ago Universal Orlando announced its new entry, a daytime TV talk show called iVillage Live that will be broadcast live, daily, starting with its Dec. 4 premiere at Islands of Adventure. The need might not be to bring in more people, however, but to give people more to do once they arrive, say industry observers. Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando, said most of the theme park business internationally is talking about a recent surge in business. At an international convention in Atlanta last week, almost everyone was predicting a big Christmas season, Aldrich said. Aldrich said the new attractions, and the holiday-themed entertainment, are needed to keep up with the crowds, not to create them. "It's not to draw people in. It's to give them more things to do when they're here," Aldrich said. "And there will be plenty of folks here." Disney also is expanding some of its seasonal entertainment, and Universal and SeaWorld are updating their offerings. Disney announced it is adding a musical element to its Osborne Family's Spectacle of Lights show at Disney-MGM Studios, programming the millions of lights to flash in swirls and dances to holiday music. Disney also has added additional days for the after-hours Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. SeaWorld is offering its festivities at the Waterfront and Christmastide shows and its Makahiki Christmas Luau festival. Universal Orlando has canceled its Grinchmas show but is expanding its Macy's Holiday Parade. Baker said the new attractions and the Christmas celebrations, which Disney began as early as Nov. 13 in three of its parks this year, also are aimed at filling in the softer periods just before Thanksgiving week, and in early December. And Disney and Universal can try out the shows before hitting the peak holiday period that begins a week before Christmas, he said. |
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Many people will be driving and flying
into town for a holiday trip to the theme parks and
Disney is ready for the rush. One of the first things
tourists will do once they arrive in Orlando is visit
a theme park, including the Magic Kingdom.
Attendance is always high during the holiday season and, this year, Disney says is no different. According to a spokeswoman, Walt Disney World posted record revenues, record cash flow and record net earnings for the 2006 fiscal year. One of the reasons why the company is doing so well is because attendance at the Magic Kingdom and other Disney World theme parks continues to climb. In fact, attendance is up five percent compared to this time last year.Even though it's been unusually cold the past few days, park visitors Eyewitness News spoke with said there's no other place they'd rather be during the Thanksgiving holiday. "We have came here for the last three years for Thanksgiving to spend it at the campground. We decided to come, it's the best time of the year, and bring our family for Thanksgiving," said holiday traveler Gina Schmidt."Normally, we go to a relative's house, but this week the kids are out of school for the whole week. They've never been to Disney, so we thought we would bring them to Disney," said holiday traveler Bryan Doubek. Industry insiders are expecting the large crowds at Disney to continue.Disney recently rolled out two new attractions based on the character in the movie Finding Nemo. Nemo: The Musical is at Animal Kingdom. The ride Nemo and Friends is at Epcot. |
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Citadel Broadcasting Corp. said
Wednesday it amended the terms of its deal to buy ABC
Radio from Walt Disney Co., reducing by $300 million
the amount of cash Disney is eligible to receive in
the $2.7 billion cash and stock deal.
The acquisition, will combine Disney's
22 ABC radio stations with Citadel's business,
resulting in a new company called Citadel
Communications with 177 FM stations and 66 AM
stations. The deal was announced in February.
Of the $300 million cash reduction, $100 million is an outright reduction in the price. The other $200 million will be covered by additional stock. Of the new stock, issued to Disney holders, $100 million will be issued at $10.40 per share and $100 million will be issued at a price between $10.89 and $14.51 per share. Disney shareholders will hold a 57 percent stake in the new company. Under the original terms of the deal, they would have had a 52 percent stake. The deal is expected to close by May 31, 2007. Citadel shares fell a penny to $9.85 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Disney was down 24 cents to $32.99 on the Big Board. |
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Disney Deals
and Deals Again
If I can't have all of U, I'll settle for part of E! Maybe those weren't the exact words used in sealing the deal between Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick Disney (NYSE: DIS), in which Comcast acquired the family entertainment giant's 39.5% stake in E! Networks. But they may have been close. Back in February 2004, Comcast offered an unsolicited buyout bid that valued Disney at $66 billion. The House of Mouse felt vulnerable at the time, with then-CEO Michael Eisner's popularity waning and the media company in disarray. After the jilting Did Disney do the right thing in walking away? Disney's stock has risen 41% since just before Comcast made the offer, which would have provided a beefy convergence of cable and content. In that time, Comcast shares have risen by only 20%. Hostile bids and unrequited advances are usually the seeds for a stormy relationship, but Disney and Comcast were destined to cut some kind of deal eventually. One of the reasons why Disney and Comcast seemed like such a perfect match was that Comcast's president of cable operations, Steve Burke, was also once a key Disney executive with a hand in running ABC, launching the Disney Store concept, and saving Disneyland Paris. The E! deal makes sense. As fellow Fool David Lee Smith pointed out earlier today, Disney gets $1.23 billion for the stake, and now Comcast will own the entertainment network in its entirety. It was an odd fit at Disney anyway. Even though the fundamentalist boycott groups have mostly moved on, they probably didn't appreciate some of the original E! programming, such as the decadent Wild On party hotspot series and the Playboy (NYSE: PLA)-enshrining Girls Next Door reality show. Let's make a deal Select Disney films and television programming will also be available through Comcast's video-on-demand outlet. This marks the first time Disney has taken that approach with its core ABC prime-time programming through a cable provider. In the 10 markets where ABC owns its local affiliate, the ABC video-on-demand streams will be free. This is a big selling point for Comcast as it tries to hook viewers on the pay products by also loading up its library with free titles to lure them in. Yes, Comcast and Disney are a happy couple again -- even if this open relationship allows them to see other people. Putting a little sole into things Payless will tap Disney's wide library of characters, including the Disney princesses, Power Rangers, Winnie the Pooh, and some of the more popular stars from the Pixar camp. The move comes even as Disney has been scaling back on the number of licenses it doles out in order to have more merchandising control. Then again, this is probably the kind of deal that the company will seek out in the future. It's cost-effective, grey-matter-percolating, and possibly even educational, should Disney make bigger inroads into branded footwear. The accidental stock pick Because David loves investing in dynamic, early-stage companies, this is a scenario that plays itself out fairly often. He also recommended PayPal to Stock Advisor readers, and it was acquired for a premium by current pick eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY). That's the beauty of buying into disruptive companies. If they alter the landscape, larger players will welcome the chance to snap them up at a premium. And when it's a great company like Disney or eBay doing the snapping, it's just one more valuable recommendation to add to an already winning newsletter. |
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Crocs
going global with Disney's help
Crocs, Inc. and Disney Consumer Products today announced plans to expand the Disney by CROCS footwear line to six continents at select retail locations in Latin America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Japan, the Middle East and South Africa. Select styles will be available this Holiday season with an expanded product launch in Spring 2007. Ron Snyder, CEO of Crocs, stated, "The success of the Disney by Crocs line at select US and Canadian retailers, in addition to the growing worldwide demand for Crocs, signaled the need for us to expand our efforts with global distribution. Disney is one of the most recognized brands across the globe and combining a phenomenal trend like Crocs with Disney continues our commitment to long-term growth for our business around the world." |
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Disneyland Makes "Thanksgiving Dreams Come True” For
National Thanksgiving Turkey
It’s truly a “Thanksgiving Dream Come True” for the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Following today’s traditional Presidential pardon of the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the White House Rose Garden, Flyer and his alternate Fryer will be rushed by police escort to In addition to the turkeys having their “Thanksgiving Dreams Come True,” every passenger and crew member on United Flight Flyer is in for a special surprise. In celebration of Disney Parks “Year of a Million Dreams,” everyone on board will be greeted by Mickey Mouse and given a ticket to Disneyland—the place where dreams come true.
“It is a true honor and
once-in-a-lifetime experience for my family and me to
represent our industry at the White House during the
National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation,” said
Briggs. “This event plays such an important role in
what is a uniquely American holiday, and the turkey
industry is very proud to be associated with both.
Having the opportunity for the National Thanksgiving
Turkey to be invited again to participate in the
U.S. President Harry S.
Truman was the first Commander-in-Chief to be
presented with a Thanksgiving turkey (in 1947) by the
National Turkey Federation. This year’s presentation
marks the 59th anniversary of a tradition
that has continued through 10 successive White House
administrations. The 2006 National Thanksgiving Turkey
was raised on a farm outside
The National Turkey
Federation is the advocate for all segments of the |
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Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action Blasts Off
Final Wii Trailer
Buena Vista Games has just released a brand new trailer for the Wii version of "Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action." Featuring game play footage filled with action and hilarious in-game cut-scenes, the new trailer brandishes amazing graphics and colorful quests which players will encounter throughout game. You can download the new "Chicken Little: Ace in Action" trailer here (27.5 MB). Developed by Avalanche Software, a Buena Vista Games studio, for the Wii, PlayStation 2 system and the Nintendo DS, "Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action" is based upon the ending of the original motion picture and features Chicken Little and his ragtag group of friends as over-the-top Hollywood action hero versions of themselves. The team must traverse the universe in order to save the planet Earth from the clutches of their villainous enemies, Foxy Loxy, Goosey Loosey and Sleazel Weasel. "Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action" allows players to travel the galaxy, exploring planetary locales with plethora of out-of-this-world weaponry and unique vehicles. Gamers play as Ace on foot, Abby in a spaceship and Runt as a tank commander. In the Wii and PlayStation 2 system versions, the original Chicken Little character and his friends appear in cut scenes and provide commentary. Adam West ("Ace"), Zach Braff ("Chicken Little") and Joan Cusack (original "Abby") reprise their film roles as the voices of their characters. Humorous original cut scenes were written and created by Avalanche Software, the game's developers. Incorporating a 3D top-down view, the Nintendo DS version of "Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action" takes advantage of the dual screens and wireless multiplayer capability of the system. The Nintendo DS version is developed by DC Studios. |
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Jasmine Law, a young, dynamic and outstanding Cast
Member, has been selected as the 2007 Hong Kong
Disneyland Ambassador.
Jasmine will represent Hong Kong Disneyland and its 5,000 Cast Members in spreading the Disney Magic. She will be the 'face' of Hong Kong Disneyland, charged with the tasks of sharing the Park experience with the public, of being an emissary of goodwill in the community and the official host for visiting dignitaries. A Cast Member since July 2005, Jasmine graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and took part in the grand opening of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in 2005. She began her career in the Resort as a Character and Parade Lead and is currently working as a Training Coordinator.
Applications for the role came from different lines of business of Hong Kong Disneyland. The selection process took more than three months to complete, during which applicants were required to submit essays and participate in a series of rigorous interviews and training sessions Jasmine was selected for her compassion to serve the community, her presentation skills and rich knowledge of the Disney heritage. The first Disneyland Ambassador was selected by Walt Disney himself in 1964 to commemorate Disneyland Park's first decade of successful operation. The Ambassador program proved to be so successful that Ambassadors have since given a face and a name to Disneyland's round the world for more than 40 years. Today, every Disney theme park has its own ambassador. Jasmine will participate in the Worldwide Ambassador training program in Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida before her tenure begins on January 1, 2007. She will be in the role for one year. Jasmine succeeds Angela To who has served as Hong Kong Disneyland Ambassador in 2005 and 2006 and made a significant contribution to promoting the Park and leading Cast Members in serving the community. Commending Angela To and welcoming Jasmine in her new role, Bill Ernest, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort said, "It is a challenge for Jasmine to carry out the Ambassador role that has so successfully been built up by Angela in Hong Kong. I trust that it is a pleasant responsibility that Jasmine has rightly been entrusted with." |
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Trees, Lights and Santa at Disneyland Paris
Christmas has returned to the Disneyland Resort; decorations are up and the resort is ready for the magical party. One BIG change is the Christmas tree, the central piece of the celebrations. The tree has been placed back on the Mainstreet location in Town Square, just behind the Christmas decorated train stations. Last year the Christmas tree could be found on the right hand side of the Castle. 
The big Christmas tree is not the only tree on the square. A forest of smaller trees makes the hiding place of Santa Clause. Walking into “the forest”, that is covered by snow and decorated with toys, You will be able to visit the good man and go for a ‘photo moment’ before going further into the park. On Main Street a new shop decorations accompanies the guests on their walk into the middle of the park. A wide advert calendar has been added to the shop windows and shows the countdown to Christmas Eve. Some of the advert calendar windows are open and have a plush of one of the famous Disney characters peaking out. Don’t miss out on the Christmas tree illumination celebrations during the evenings. Mickey, Minnie and their friends take care of this from the central plaza with a helping hand of Tinker Bell. The lights from central plaza into Main Street up to the tree will be lit and will complete the magical Christmas time that makes a visit to the resort extra special. |
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It's the Most Wonderful Time -- for Toys
Disney Insider - Once again, the holidays are upon us -- the gifts, the family gatherings, the good cheer. And once again, The Walt Disney Company is partnering with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to help make the holidays brighter for children in need. It's a partnership that goes all the way back to Toys for Tots' inception in 1947 -- Disney animators designed the charity's logo, and the very first Toys for Tots poster. And every year since, Disney donations and volunteer efforts have assisted the annual toy drive. However, this year will see a few first-time events that are doing more than ever to make the holidays merry for Toys for Tots -- from movie stars pitching in to a special Theme Park offer unlike any you've seen before. Disneyland Resort will be offering Guests a brand-new reason to participate in the annual toy drive. Beginning Sunday, November 26, at 8 a.m., the first 7,000 people to bring a new, unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more will receive a limited-edition commemorative pin. Here's the skinny: the collections will occur on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, from November 26 through December 10 and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Park admission is not required - just bring unwrapped toys to the Information Booths on the Disney Resort esplanade, just outside the security checkpoints. The pins are expected to go fast -- and once the 7,000 are gone, the opportunity will be over!  The
toy drive is already in full swing -- and some of
those contributions have been aided by the cast of
Disney's upcoming film adaptation of Katherine
Paterson's classic novel "Bridge to Terabithia,"
which will be in theaters in February 2007. Young
star Josh Hutcherson told us about taking part in
the toy drives. He was at the Toys R Us in Florence,
Kentucky on Friday November 3 accepting donations
for Toys for Tots -- the goal was to "stuff a Humvee"
with gifts for kids, and the effort succeeded. "It
was great -- we had so many people there!" he says.
"They were very gracious, and I think some kids are
going to have a great Christmas because of them."
There will be another chance for the public to meet
Josh, get an autograph (with a toy donation, of
course!) and help kids on the day after
Thanksgiving, November 24, at Cincinnati's Eastgate
Mall. Josh is eager to be there. "It's great to feel
like I can do something to help," he says, "and it's
fun!" Finally, the premiere of "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause" saw Disney CEO Robert Iger presenting a $1 million contribution from The Walt Disney Company to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, assisted by Tim Allen -- the movie's star and the national spokesman for Toys for Tots. All told, this year's campaign is a mix of tradition, new ideas, and the determination to go just a little bit beyond our past efforts that truly typifies the Disney way. |
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Target
Deals with Disney on Downloads
Target and Disney have made peace following a dispute over the studio’s movie download deal with Apple’s iTunes. In September, Target president Gregg Steinhafel sent a letter to studios urging them to price downloads similar to DVD or the retailer would “reconsider” its DVD support (VB, 10-16). The letter followed Disney’s deal with Apple, which is selling new release movie downloads for $14.99, estimated to be $2 below DVD wholesale costs. Target reportedly took down signs promoting Disney products and moved Disney movies off of its endcap displays, however, the Times said a deal was negotiated after Disney hinted it might not ship Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest to the chain. The film is expected to be one of the top DVD sellers this year. In exchange, Disney will license an exclusive character and product line to Target, the Times said. Neither Disney nor Target would comment on the report. |
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HP Launches ''Days to Dream'' Online Holiday Promotion
On November 14th HP started "Days to Dream," an online promotion themed to the Disney Parks that offers people interactive entertainment and the chance to win more than 100 prizes. The online entertainment ranges from a chance for shoppers to create their own set of Mickey Mouse ears to the opportunity to create an online fireworks show by playing a trivia game about Disney Parks. Click the link below for more Information. http://www.daystodream.com/flash.php |
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Stern
knows 'Nobody' for ABC Family
Dawn Stern has landed the lead role in the ABC Family drama pilot "Nobody," from "Desperate Housewives" writer Kevin Murphy. "Nobody" centers on Jessica Drake (Stern), a mother who gives up her own identity to save the life of her daughter. In doing so, however, she finds that she must pay the price of being erased from the memories of her family and the rest of the world. Jessica ends up working for a covert ops branch of heaven dedicated to fighting the forces of darkness on Earth -- while continuing to make sure her family is safe. The pilot starts shooting this month in Vancouver. Murphy is executive producing "Nobody," based on the comic book created by Alex Amado, Sharon Cho and Charlie Adlard. He also is writing the pilot. Noreen Halpern, John Morayniss, Jason Netter and Ken Levin also are executive producing. Blueprint Entertainment will produce the one-hour project for ABC Family. Stern was a series regular on NBC's "Viper" and Fox's "413 Hope St." She also has appeared on such series as UPN's "The Parkers," CBS' "The Young & the Restless," Fox's "Wanda at Large" and ABC's "Thieves." Her film credits include "The Fugitive" and "Original Gangstas." Stern is repped by Robert S. Costanzo at the Entertainment Management Group. |
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411 Movies Interview: Roy Disney
Roy Edward Disney is the son of Roy O. Disney and nephew of Walt Disney, the Company's founders. Born in Los Angeles on January 10, 1930, Roy practically grew up at the Studio, where his father managed business affairs, while his uncle inspired artists to create magical animated worlds for movie screens. Roy was there when Snow White and Pinocchio were born and once recalled, "the animators used to test stuff out on me. They'd say, 'Come on in and watch this and see if you think it's funny.'" In 1951, Roy graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English from Southern California's Pomona College, and soon launched his entertainment career as an assistant film editor on the television series "Dragnet," starring Jack Webb. He joined The Walt Disney Studios in 1954, working as an assistant editor on the successful True-Life Adventure films, including "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie," both of which won Academy Awards. He later wrote and co-produced "Mysteries of the Deep," which won an Oscar nomination in 1959. Roy sits down with 411's Tony Farinella to discuss the success of Disney, the DVD release of the True-Life Adventure films, some stories of the filmmaking process, his thoughts on other nature films, and so much more in an engaging and open interview. The acclaimed series makes its long-awaited DVD debut from Walt Disney Home Entertainment on December 5. Home Entertainment, Inc. Roy E. Disney, one of the original filmmakers for True-Life Adventures, who provides introductions and hosts six segments on the bonus features entitled "Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom." Tony: How did your interest in animals and their surroundings begin? Roy Disney: It began when I ended up in the cutting room at the Disney studios working on a couple of the early True Life Adventure films such as "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie". I spent a year or so in the editing room with the films, especially on "The Vanishing Prairie", and it sort of started me out on a career. I wound up for the next 25 years working on nature films. Tony: How did the True Life Adventure Series first come to mind? Roy Disney: It came to Walt back in 1946 when he got ahold of all this footage of the seals in The Pribilof Islands up in the Bering Sea. There was miles and miles of this film and it didn't make a lot of sense, but he saw that a good film editor could make sense out of it. He ended up making a little 30 minute short called "Seal Island" that really in a lot of ways became the template for many things that we did in the years that followed. Tony: What was he hoping to accomplish with the series? Roy Disney: He was always interested in nature as he was raised on a farm and he felt a kinship with nature and animals. He was also a filmmaker and I think he saw an opportunity to make a new kind of film that seemed to him like a good idea. A lot of people agreed. Tony: You were one of the project's original editors, what was that experience like? Roy Disney: It was a very steep learning curve as we shot enormous amounts of film. The job was partially to categorize it, sort it out, and file it all. All without the aid of computers of course. We needed to know what we had so we could put our hands on scenes and sequences as we saw the need for them. Tony: How much did you learn from that experience? Roy Disney: It was the best film school anybody could have ever gone to. I would not bother to go to a real film school, believe me. I would rather do it that way. Tony: How pleased were you when the series won Academy Awards? Roy: We were all enormously pleased and proud of them. I think we almost took it for granted for awhile because we knew how good the work was. Tony: Since you were shooting in these conditions and with animals, did you ever have any experiences when animals got out of control? Roy: The worst part was when the animal would take off for somewhere else and we would be left there with a camera and nothing to shoot. Tony: What was it like shooting in those cold conditions? Roy: There were times when it was difficult like when I would spend a winter in Jackson, Wyoming and the temperatures would get down way below zero. The hardest part is just walking around, trying to stay warm, and to still be able to move around and carry a camera with you. It was physically difficult work as everything was always uphill. Tony: Out of all the films, which one is your favorite? Roy: I always have to say "Mysteries of the Deep" because that was my movie and I made that one. "The Living Desert" is still a personal favorite along with "Beaver Valley" and "Water Birds", but they are all great in my mind. That's like asking which one of your babes you like best. Tony: Why did the series come to an end? Roy: I think TV was the reason as we made similar films for the Sunday night TV show. It really just crossed over from the theatrical business into the TV business. We made another 35-45 nature based films in a one hour format up until the mid and late 70's. Tony: What is your most vivid memory from the series? Roy: We were up in Utah and we were camped out up there at 10,000 feet above sea level and we were in an area where there were a lot of squirrels. We were working on a film called "Perri", and I walked down with a still camera to a particular tree where there was a squirrel nest in it. I walked up with the camera, set the camera down, and looked up and out of nowhere came a Goshawk, who was trying to pluck the squirrel out of the tree. He missed the squirrel and he wound up going by me so close that if I had presence of mind I could have caught him by the wing. My camera is sitting there in my bag at my feet and I think I have remembered that more clearly than anything else. It is one of the few things that you don't see through the viewfinder. The hard part with shooting that stuff is that you are watching through this tiny little screen through the viewfinder and you don't get the full cinemascope version of it through your memory. A lot of the memories are compressed in strange ways. Tony: How important are animals today? Roy: They are apart of our world, obviously, and I think it is one of the services that we did was to make it very clear to the world that all of this life around us is as important to us as our own lives. We need to maintain and preserve our world in a way that we can both coexist. I think we were responsible as much as anyone on earth for being the seeds for the whole conservation ecology movement. Tony: How do you think the series holds up all these years later? Roy: I think they are awfully good movies and they have a timeless quality to them. They don't refer to anything contemporary and what happens to Perri the squirrel today is the same thing that happened to her 50 years ago. That quality in them is what makes them as good as they are. Tony: What do you hope kids of today take away from the series? Roy: The same thing they did 50 years ago hopefully. I think a lot of people then and hopefully now have an appreciation for their own world. Tony: Now that you see films like "March of the Penguins" and others, how good does it make you feel to know you started all of that? Roy: We are all very proud and pleased to have been a part of that. When I saw "March of the Penguins" all I could think was I wish we made that as it was the perfect Disney movie. Tony: Out of all the new animal films, which one has been your favorite? Roy: Definitely "March of the Penguins" is far and away the best thing I have seen in quite awhile. Partially the footage, but also the way it was told. The narration, the music, and everything really did a wonderful job of storytelling. Tony: How important is storytelling in animal films? Roy: It's absolutely critical to the way the story works. If you don't understand the events as a story and get emotionally involved with them, and hope the good guy wins and the bad guy losses, and justice is done then you have lost the audience. If you don't think it is fun and funny and even beautiful, we did musical scenes to talk about the beauty of nature. We really worked awfully hard trying to find a funny story and to make sure people understood there is humor in it. It is not all serious and be or be killed, there is a cuteness and fun to it. Tony: Since animal films are so popular now, have you ever thought of returning to that genre? Roy: We have made a few things that were nature related over the years and I hope to do a few more in the next couple of years. The equipment has changed in such a way these days with digital video that I think we can go out and film stuff today that we could have never filmed 50 years ago. Tony: With so many studios struggling today, how does Disney continue to make money and flourish? Roy: The trick is you have to keep making a good product and to be self critical and don't try to fool yourself into thinking how wonderful you are. Just work hard at it. |
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Tuesday November 21, 2006 |
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Disney, Comcast announce distribution agreement
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) today announced that they have entered into long-term comprehensive distribution agreements that will extend their relationship into the next decade for the 10 ABC-owned broadcast television stations and a broad array of Disney's leading networks and services including: Disney Channel, ABC Family, Toon Disney, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN HD and increased carriage of SOAPnet. In addition, Comcast will launch ESPN Deportes, a stand-alone Spanish-language sports network, and the companies formalized their ESPN2 HD agreement.
In addition, Comcast has acquired The Walt Disney
Company's 39.5 percent ownership stake in E! Networks.
Following today's acquisition, E! Networks, which
includes E! Entertainment Television and Style
Network, is now wholly owned by Comcast. The purchase
price for the 39.5 percent stake was $1.23 billion.
The companies have also agreed to add primetime television programs, cable network shows and Disney movies to Comcast's signature ON DEMAND service. Marking the first time ABC broadcast programs will be available on video on demand (VOD) by any cable company, several ABC primetime series will be offered free by Comcast in ABC-owned television station markets. The companies also said they will work together to make promotional content from the Disney-ABC Television Group available on Comcast's leading broadband portal, www.comcast.net. "This agreement reflects our ability to distribute content on multiple platforms and signals another first for Comcast and Disney as we continue to explore the evolving possibilities of digital technology. We could not have gotten this deal done without Bob Iger's leadership and vision. Putting Disney, ESPN and ABC's extremely popular content on Comcast VOD is a watershed event for both of our companies," said Brian Roberts, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast. "This is the first cable on-demand agreement for hit ABC primetime broadcast programs like Desperate Housewives and Lost and, when combined with Disney movies and other ABC/Disney/ESPN television programs, gives Comcast access to the most Disney content available." Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, commented, "This is one of the broadest distribution agreements in the history of our company. Disney's great brands and great content combined with Comcast's leading distribution platforms provide an incredibly compelling consumer experience in sports, family, news and entertainment. We look forward to working with Brian and Steve Burke on a range of future projects as technology continues to evolve." Video On Demand includes ABC Network Primetime shows: ABC Network primetime and ABC News programs will be available free to Comcast's digital cable customers in the following markets served by ABC-owned stations: New York (WABC), Philadelphia (WPVI), Chicago (WLS), San Francisco (KGO), Houston (KTRK), Fresno, CA (KFSN), and Flint, MI (WJRT). Beginning with the Fall 2007 season, on-demand episodes of Desperate Housewives, Lost and two new yet-to-be determined primetime series will be available the day after their network broadcast to Comcast consumers in the same owned-station markets. Desperate Housewives and Lost also will be available in HD VOD for Comcast customers with HD service. Also available in the same markets will be World News with Charles Gibson, Nightline and This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Under the agreement, Comcast also plans to add certain shows from Disney Channel, SOAPnet, Toon Disney and ESPN libraries to Comcast's ON DEMAND lineup in markets where those channels are offered. Video On Demand Movies from Disney, Touchstone and Miramax Studios: Under the movie VOD agreement, Comcast Digital Cable customers will be able to order movies newly released on VOD from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone and Miramax for $3.99 each, while library titles will be available for $2.99 each. Some of the new release titles available on Comcast ON DEMAND beginning in 2007 include: Pirates of the Caribbean 2, The Santa Clause 3, Invincible and The Guardian. The select television programming and movies from The Walt Disney Company will join Comcast's growing library of more than 8,000 ON DEMAND programs per month, including hundreds of hit and classic movies, music videos and specials, kids' shows, sports highlights, news and informational programs. With ON DEMAND, customers can play, fast-forward, rewind, pause and restart their choices as many times as they want for up to 24 hours after being selected. Comcast customers have watched more than three billion ON DEMAND programs since 2004, including one million HD VOD programs since September 2006. About Comcast Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 11 million high-speed Internet customers, and 2.1 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content. Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia. About The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of over $34 billion in its most recent fiscal year, and a market capitalization of $68 billion as of Nov. 20, 2006. |
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Comcast Corp. (CMCSA.O ) is expected to announce a
deal on Tuesday that gives the cable operator's
subscribers access to Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS.N)
programming on its free video-on-demand service,
according to a person familiar with the talks.
ABC shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Nightline are among those that will be available for free on the service under the terms of the deal, which will also include two new 2007 fall programs from the television network. The deal is part of a wider $1 billion agreement that grants Comcast access to Disney entertainment properties including the ABC network and cable channels such as ESPN, Toon Disney and SoapNet. In recent negotiations with programmers, Comcast has been pushing for additional agreements to enable features such as on-demand programming to keep pace with consumers more accustomed to such delivery over the Internet or comfortable with services like digital video recorders. Video on-demand viewing enables audiences to order up shows when they feel like watching them instead of waiting to view them according to a preset broadcast schedule. Comcast has previously reached on-demand agreements with two other major TV networks, CBS Corp. (CBSa.N) and General Electric Co.'s (GE.N) NBC network. NBC currently charges Comcast subscribers 99 cents per show, while CBS, whose shows include CSI and Survivor, has taken an advertiser-supported route to offer the shows for free. Comcast, the largest U.S. cable television operator with 24 million subscribers, said it has had more than 3 billion views of its on-demand shows since launching the service two years ago. The company believes that free on-demand services have helped reduce customer losses. The video-on-demand service will also offer films from Disney's major studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax Films and Touchstone Pictures. Comcast will charge $3.99 for new Disney movies and $2.99 for older titles. Some films will be available as soon as 15 days after the DVDs are released for sale at retail stores. The agreement, which comes after nearly three years of negotiations, will also give Comcast the right to use Disney promotional video on its Comcast.net Web site. The cable operator plans to expand the site in coming months. Shares of Comcast closed 11 cents lower at $40.68 on the Nasdaq Tuesday while Disney shares ended 11 cents higher at $33.23 on the New York Stock Exchange. |
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Pirates
Coming To Walt Disney World
Ahoy
Me Hearties, On May 21, 2007, prepare yourselves for
a three-day adventure unlike any
that has been seen this side of the 7 Seas Lagoon.
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Disney to develop footwear line with Payless
Walt Disney Co. has agreed to develop a "direct-to-retail" line of licensed kids' footwear with Payless Shoe Source, the companies said Tuesday. The company's multi-year deal with Payless will bring together the design teams of each company to create a special line of footwear styles featuring Disney and Disney-Pixar characters. Payless will source, market and sell the line through its nearly 4,600 store chain and on Payless.com. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Topeka, Kan.-based Payless (NYSE: PSS)has sold Disney-themed footwear and accessories for several years, though now the companies will work more closely on design, creative direction and retail marketing. Character styles will include Disney Princesses, Power Rangers, Winnie the Pooh, and an assortment of Disney*Pixar characters from "The Incredibles" and "Finding Nemo". The first products are scheduled to be in stores in Spring 2007 with an expanded line in time for next year's back-to-school season. |
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Disney to attach local listings to banner adsA new development in targeted online ads will see
Disney attaching local cinema details to
advertisements for its films, ClickZ reports. |
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“Cars” Toy Chests Sold at Toys “R” Us Recalled by
Delta Enterprise Due to Lead Poisoning Hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced
a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.
Consumers should stop using recalled products
immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: “Cars” Toy Storage Benches Units: About 3,000 Manufacturer: Delta Enterprise Corp., New York, N.Y. Hazard: The red paint on the partition panels of the toy box contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects. Incidents/Injuries: None reported. Description: The wooden toy storage box is decorated with graphics from the animated movie “Cars.” It has three removable cloth toy bins. “Delta” and the PO# are printed on the side panel. Only toy boxes with “PO#FJ505192” or “PO#FJ605042” marked on the side panel are included in this recall. Sold exclusively at: Toys “R” Us stores from March 2006 through August 2006 for about $50. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should take the recalled toy chests away from children immediately and return it to any Toys “R” Us for a credit or refund. Consumer Contact: For more information, call Delta Enterprise at (877) 660-3777 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.deltachildrensproducts.com/ |
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Disney's magic kingdom
Sometimes mother knows best. Such was the case with Disney on Ice performer Jonathan Nagai. "I never really watched figure skating but my mom put me in every single sport you could think of and I loved being on the ice and had a natural talent for figure skating," says Richmond-raised Nagai. "As a little guy of five I took group lessons with Richmond's Connaught Skating Club, then played hockey with Richmond Minor Hockey Association." Since joining Disney on Ice as an 18-year-old in 2000, the 24-year-old has travelled the world - Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico and across North America to name just a few destinations - as a number of beloved Disney characters.
"In this show I play a lot of different characters," says Nagai from his hotel room in Portland, Oregon. "In the Alice in Wonderland section in the opening I play a dapper (ride a bike around the perimeter of the rink). "I'm on the ice through most of the show and understudy a lot of the principal roles." The audience will go on a dizzying, fun-filled adventure through the Mad Tea Party with Alice and the Mad Hatter, experience the Incredibles as they discover a Haunted House, and catch the Pirates of the Caribbean on skates. "During finales you can see all these little kids dancing around to the music and their parents trying to pull them back," laughs Nagai. "Parents often themselves remember the Disney characters and share their experiences with us." This show is taking Nagai across the United States with only one stop in Canada, right here in Vancouver. "My parents are still in Richmond, and my mom told me she's coming to every single show,' he says. "I'm going to take my little nine-year-old brother backstage, he will get to meet all the characters." Audiences will get to see Nagai perform full skating triples and a few jumps. "I use to do back flips on the ice but this show doesn't call for it anymore," adds Nagai. The show also calls on him to be quite a quick-change artist. "I have five or six costumes changes, and sometimes I only have five seconds or sometimes five minutes for a costume change," says Nagai, who prior to joining Disney competed at the Western Nationals representing B.C. "But the skates don't come off, the costumes have snaps or Velcro or zippers." The toughest part of his career path is also his favorite - the touring. "I enjoy touring, but sometimes it gets to you living out of two suitcases," explains Nagai, who says the age of Disney on Ice performers ranges from 17 to 60. "But I'm getting really good at packing all my stuff for different hotel rooms every week ... but, hey, you don't have to make your bed, that's a plus." It can also sometimes be a grueling schedule. "This one is a brand new show so we are doing 10 to 12 shows a week," says Nagai, who adds the only downfall is missing his family and friends. "On this tour we have been gone since the middle of August 2006 and we are going through until May, 2007." To keep in shape for the physicality of the show, Nagai heads to the gym, does lots of stretches and eats well. So what's next for this young, talented skater? "Rumor has it I'll be going to Europe next year," says Nagai. "What a way to see the world." Join Mickey and Minnie Mouse and the gang in a fun-filled adventure during Disney On Ice's presentation of Disneyland Adventure opening tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 22, to Nov. 26 at the Pacific Coliseum at the PNE. For tickets and show times, visit www.disneyonice.com or call Ticketmaster at 604-280-4444. |
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Visitors to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom might
find themselves walking in on a new Monsters, Inc.
comedy act being rehearsed in Tomorrowland by Walt
Disney Imagineering.
The new attraction, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club, is supposed to open in mid- to late January but is far enough along that Disney is occasionally "test playing" its routines before audiences over the next few weeks. The new attraction is taking the place of the old Timekeeper experience in a pavilion shared with the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ride. Disney has remodeled the room as a 400-seat theater. The new show, based on Pixar's 2001 animated movie Monsters, Inc., uses technology that was first tried at Disney World at the Turtle Talk with Crush show at Epcot to create an interactive dialogue between the audience and projected animated characters from the movie, led by Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed hero. In the attraction's story line, Mike, having realized in the movie that laughter is many times more powerful than screams as a power source, has opened the comedy club to collect laughs that will generate power for the future. Disney still has not announced an opening date for the show, but officials last week confirmed the play tests mostly with visitors who are invited in. Currently, the attraction is not marked with signs. |
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Holidays
start Friday at Epcot
Epcot begins its nightly Holidays Around the World/Candlelight Processional celebration Friday night. A retelling of the Christmas story, featuring guest narrators, a massed choir, and a 50-piece orchestra, highlights the annual event. The festival explores holiday customs from around the globe and offers international storytellers, a nightly character tree lighting ceremony, a display of snow-white and colored lights, and a Candlelight Processional. Every evening show concludes with a holiday-themed version of Epcot's IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth closing show. |
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VIP Hollywood Event Hosted by Disney's High School
Musical Star Vanessa
For ten pairs of best friends, Saturday, November 18 was a night of movie stars, manicures and make-overs as they traveled to Hollywood for the Glade Light Show Ultimate Slumber Party, hosted by Vanessa Hudgens, star of Disney's mega-hit High School Musical. As Grand Prize winners of the Glade Light Show Ultimate Slumber Party contest, 10 sets of BFF's (Best Friends Forever) from across the country were flown to Hollywood, CA for a good old-fashioned slumber party where Vanessa dished, danced and sang with other teen girls in a vanilla-scented and color- lit room created by the hot new teen room accessory, the Glade® Light Show. Vanessa and her best friend shared their best slumber party stories, secrets of a rising teen star and celebrated the success of her new CD, titled V. The VIP guests also received a $1,000 shopping spree and participated in fun girl stuff, including manicures, karaoke and slumber party games. "I had such a great time hosting the Glade Light Show Ultimate Slumber Party and hanging with all of these awesome girls from across the country," says Vanessa Hudgens. "It was great to spend a night and just kick-back and do all of those girly things that often get put-off, like giving each other manicures, gossiping and singing karaoke. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than having an Ultimate Slumber Party!" To win the VIP trip to hang out with celebrity gal-pal Vanessa, best friends were asked to submit essays on how, in today's high-tech society, they like to "unplug" for some old-fashioned face time-no IM'ing or text messaging allowed. Winners were chosen on their demonstration of creativity, self- expression and originality in their essay. Some of the girls who submitted winning essays like to get together to do activities from playing team sports, to volunteering their time at an animal rescue shelter, to teaching each other different languages. "In today's hectic world, we believe that it's even more important for teens to slow down and have a little down time with their best friends," says Kelly Semrau, SC Johnson Vice President of Global Public Affairs and Communication. "The Glade Scented Oil Light Show really helps teens set the mood for an environment where they can just spend time with their friends. As a family company, we were really excited to see best friends from across the country come together to participate in the ultimate in girl bonding-the slumber party!" The contest was launched in conjunction with SC Johnson's new Glade® PlugIns Scented Oil Light Show-a hot new room accessory that inspires FTF that's GFU. (Translation: face to face fun that's good for you!) Available in three teen-friendly fragrances from the Fun & Flirty Collection, Berry Burst, Vanilla & Cream and Watermelon Rush, Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Light Show is a continuous action unit that dispenses scent while the light show washes changing colors of light over a wall, creating a personal ambiance that helps girls express their individuality and set the right mood for chillin' with their best friends. For more information on the Glade Light Show Ultimate Slumber Party event with Vanessa, or for details on how to host your own ultimate slumber party, please visit http://www.scentedoillightshow.com/. |
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Walt Disney's Funny Factory Volume 3 & 4
Walt Disney's Funny Factory With Goofy, Volume 3
Join your favorite Disney pals as they celebrate some of Goofy's funniest moments in this sidesplitting collection of cartoon treasures. Goofy's out of the doghouse and starring in his own collection of seven short films. It's time for fun at work with Donald and Mickey in "Clock Cleaners." Then, in "Father's Week-End," keeping an eye on Junior makes for a nonstop day of so-called rest. Hang on for hilarity when Goofy gets a boat in "Aquamania" and more!
Join your favorite Disney pals as they celebrate some of Huey, Dewey and Louie's funniest moments in this sidesplitting collection of cartoon treasures. Kick off this classic collection of eight short films when "Donald's Nephews" come for a visit - and create chaos! The boys embark on all sorts of hilarious adventures with their beloved uncle, including a day on the high seas in "Sea Scouts," an unexpected encounter with a pie-loving predator in "Lion Around" and more! Suggested retail price: U.S. $14.99 Canada $16.99 |
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Alias Season 5
Alias fans can complete their collection as the thrilling final season of the award-winning show comes to DVD on November 21. From Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Touchstone Television, Alias: The Complete Fifth Season features the entire fifth and final season and comes loaded with exclusive bonus not found anywhere else. In Season 5, Sydney learns that Vaughn is under
investigation and suspected of being a double agent.
When Sydney discovers that she is pregnant with
Vaughn's baby, she becomes determined to uncover the
truth about him.
Sydney's father Jack must deal with becoming a grandfather while still learning to be a dad, while Sloane makes an unholy alliance to try and find a cure for the comatose Nadia. New agents are introduced and a nefarious organization comes to light in Sydney's life as she fights to protect her unborn child – all the while traveling incognito, outsmarting the bad guys and keeping the world safe. Alias: The Complete Fifth Season is packed with never-before-seen bonus including interviews with the case, deleted scenes, bloopers, and more. Go behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the 100th episode celebration. Take an on-the-set visit with new cast member Rachel Nichols. Experience the making of Alias' music, bloopers, deleted scenes and more! Audio commentary is provided by show creators and actors Victor Garber, David Anders and Rachel Nichols. The moving final episode features audio commentary from creator J.J. Abrams and star Jennifer Garner. ALIAS: The Complete Fifth Season features co-stars Victor Garber ("Legally Blonde") as Jack Bristow, Ron Rifkin ("The Sum Of All Fears") as Arvin Sloane, Carl Lumbly ("Men of Honor") as Marcus Dixon, Kevin Weisman as Marshall Flinkman, Rachel Nichols ("The Amityville Horror") as Rachel Gibson, and Balthazar Getty ("Ladder 49") as Thomas Grace. Alias: The Complete Fifth Season is available for $39.99 (U.S. S.R.P), $59.99 (Canada S.R.P.) in a four disc DVD set. |
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Alias The Complete Collection - Seasons 1-5
From the groundbreaking pilot to the heart stopping finale, own every episode of TV's super-spy thriller 'Alias' in Alias: The Complete Collection – Seasons 1-5, the ultimate DVD box set, available on November 21. Alias: The Complete Collection is available in a stunning limited edition, gold-foil embossed replica of a genuine show artifact: The Rambaldi Box. This high-end collector's edition contains every episode of every season plus a hardcover book revealing new insights to the series from the show's cast and creators. The exclusive bonus disc comes hidden in a special compartment and is loaded with all-new special features. In all, 29 discs containing all 105 episodes and hours of original bonus. The Alias: The Complete Collection – Seasons 1-5
bonus disc features hours of never-before-seen
extras including Jennifer Garner in her first
interview as Sydney Bristow, an emotional cast
reunion on the set of the final episode, the best
and sexiest aliases of Alias. Additional bonus
includes a wide ranging interview with creator J.J.
Abrams, interviews with Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer
Garner and other special guests, and more including
a fan tribute and the truth about the number "47."
Show cast and creators give the final word on Alias' secrets in Alias Revealed. This exclusive hardcover book is packed with answers to Alias' deepest mysteries and can only be found in Alias: The Complete Collection. This collector-quality book answers fan's questions about the show, storylines, character connections, production, and Rambaldi mythology. Only 40,000 units of the Collection will be produced worldwide and every Rambaldi Box comes embossed with a stamp of authenticity. Alias co-stars Victor Garber ("Legally Blonde") as Jack Bristow, Ron Rifkin ("The Sum Of All Fears") as Arvin Sloane, Carl Lumbly ("Men of Honor") as Marcus Dixon, Kevin Weisman as Marshall Flinkman, Rachel Nichols ("The Amityville Horror") as Rachel Gibson, and Balthazar Getty ("Ladder 49") as Thomas Grace. The show's previous co-stars and brilliant guest stars include Michael Vartan ("Monster-In-Law") as Michael Vaughn, Greg Grunberg ("Malibu's Most Wanted") as Eric Weiss and Mia Maestro ("Frida") as Nadia Santos, Angela Bassett ("Mr. 3000," "What's Love Got To Do With It"), Lena Olin ("Chocolat"), Isabella Rossellini ("Roger Dodger"), Bradley Cooper ("Wedding Crashers"), Elodie Bouchez ("CQ") as Renée Rienne, and Merrin Dungey (TV's "The King of Queens"). The perfect holiday gift, Alias: The Complete Collection – Seasons 1-5 is priced at $199.99 (U.S. S.R.P.), $264.99 (Canada S.R.P.) from Touchstone Television and Buena Vista Home Entertainment. |
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Wonderful
world of Disney awaits
There was no official bowl announcement Monday, but a Champs Sports Bowl official indicated that Purdue fans should begin putting on their Mickey Mouse ears in anticipation of the Orlando-based bowl selecting the Boilermakers. Matt Repchak of the Champs Sports Bowl, a first-year member of the Big Ten Conference bowl lineup, said it was safe to assume that Purdue would play a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 8 p.m. game Dec. 29 in Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, which is located practically in the shadows of Disney World. "I can't put anything out there myself, but you can look around at the way things have shaken out and the way people have been reporting, and you can see that we do not have much of a choice. "I would say, to answer your initial question, yes, it's safe to assume. But we have yet to make an announcement." The way things are shaking out is that the Big Ten definitely will have two teams in BCS bowls. Either Ohio State and Michigan will play each other in the national championship game, or the Buckeyes will play for the title and Michigan, most likely, will go to the Rose Bowl. That would mean Wisconsin would be headed to the Capital One Bowl, which is partnered with the Champs Sports Bowl under the Florida Citrus Sports banner; and the Outback Bowl would select (8-4) Penn State, which ended up tied with Purdue (8-4) for fourth place in the Big Ten standings at 5-3. Next up would be the Champs Sports Bowl, and it would favor Purdue over the other two Big Ten teams that are bowl eligible, Minnesota and Iowa (both 6-6). The main reason pointing to a Purdue trip to Orlando is that the Champs Sports Bowl may not have a choice with its selection, if the above scenario unfolds as expected. Because the Big Ten will have two BCS teams, the bowls with Big Ten tie-ins won't have to follow the standings in making their selections -- with two exceptions. "Basically, there's a two-win, two-loss differential rule for the Capital One, Outback, Champs Sports and Alamo, where they can select any eligible team except a team that had two fewer wins or two more losses," said Scott Chipman, Big Ten assistant commissioner. "So the Capital One Bowl couldn't pick an 8-4 team over a 10-2 team. "If a second (Big Ten) team goes up to the BCS, that two wins/two loss differential is waved for the Outback, Champs and Alamo, but not for the Capital One. It remains for the Capital One Bowl." But, according to Repchak, the Champs Sports Bowl and the Capital One Bowl contracts read the same. "Both of our Big Ten contracts state that we can take the best team available or a team with one less overall win," Repchak said. "The (Champs Bowl) contract is similar to our Capital One Bowl contract, in that we cannot, say, take a 6-6 team over an 8-4 team. "What came out of our meeting (Monday) -- we don't have an option when it comes to an 8-4 versus a 6-6." Whether Purdue wins or loses at Hawaii on Saturday will have no bearing on the Champs Sports selection process. "If Purdue were to lose this weekend, with our contract, they would still count as an 8-4 team instead of an 8-5 team," Repchak said. "The Hawaii game does not factor in to our contract." The next question is, when will the selection process begin? Charles Bloom, Southeastern Conference associate commissioner and spokesman for the BCS, said it could begin as soon as today or Wednesday, or maybe not until next week. "We have a conference call (today) but I am not privy to what will happen on that call," Bloom said. "It's a standard call to go over the selection procedures for all the bowls and all the conferences. It's not just a Big Ten call. "They wouldn't (make any bowl announcements) on Thanksgiving Day, and they probably wouldn't do it on Friday. I would say that the announcement would either come (today) or Wednesday, or it won't come until next Tuesday or Wednesday." There was a post Sunday on the Outback Bowl's Internet site saying that Penn State had agreed to play in its game, but it has since been pulled. Chipman said there have been no official bowl announcements regarding Big Ten teams. Both Chipman and Bloom clarified a rumor that if Ohio State and Michigan played for the national championship, the Rose Bowl could select Wisconsin. "The BCS rules clearly state that only two teams from a conference can qualify for BCS games, so that's not possible," Chipman said. "If Michigan and Ohio State play in the national championship game, then there won't be a Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl." |
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Monday November 20, 2006 |
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Despite Fixes, Some Observers Say Troubles Could
Follow Company to Shanghai.
Before Hong Kong Disneyland opened last year, planners
were careful to design the park according to the
principles of feng shui, placing objects in harmony
with their environment. They made sure to offer
Chinese food. And they built a garden of costumed
characters to satisfy the Chinese obsession with
taking photos.
Then the best-laid plans went awry.
A charity event before the official opening was
chaotic and overcrowded. Local celebrities were
offended by rude treatment during opening
celebrations. Health officials were barred from
entering the park in uniform. Environmentalists
protested against shark-fin soup on the menus.
It was only the beginning of a very rocky start for Disney, during which it was accused of arrogance and insensitivity by its visitors. Although the company has subsequently received favorable reviews, the early experience has raised questions about its ability to operate effectively in this culture, as well as concerns about what will happen when the company opens its first park on the mainland, in Shanghai, in a few years. "If they got into trouble in Hong Kong, for certain they will get into trouble on the mainland. If they're arrogant there, it will be magnified 100 times," said Chan Kin Man, a sociology professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "Disneyland is an icon of the West. When relations between the U.S. and China turn sour, it might turn into a target." Nearly half of the park's 5 million visitors in the past year were from the mainland. And it was during a peak season for those visitors, the Chinese New Year, that Disney made its biggest gaffe. Despite several sold-out days over Christmas, Disney was unprepared for the early reaction to a discount promotion during the start of the Chinese New Year in February. Hundreds of already ticketed customers were locked out because the park was full, generating TV coverage of crying children, angry parents and mainland tourists climbing fences to get into the park. The changes Hong Kong Disneyland has made since then -- more flexible ticketing and more profit sharing with travel agencies -- are now being watched closely as the company stands by plans to open its park in Shanghai, which will be even bigger than the one here. "It will be even more interesting in China," said Chan, who took his family to the park in September 2005. "We have a group of people who are fond of anything Western, but we also have a strong group of nationalists. Things will be more intense." Disney, which has previously called the problems "growing pains," declined to comment. Hong Kong is not the first place overseas where the company has confronted challenges. Euro Disney, which later changed the name of its park to Disneyland Paris, was criticized for exporting American imperialism when it opened in 1992. The park had to offer wine to placate French visitors and was financially bailed out by a Saudi prince. Today it is a top tourist destination. Disney also has a park in Tokyo, where it has had a relatively smoother go of it. In China, Disney is trying to market its merchandise in a country enamored with Western brands and yet also notorious for piracy. It is pushing movies and TV programs, building retail stores and bringing traveling "roadshows" to attract more mainland tourists to Hong Kong Disneyland. There are indications that it has had some success. Huang Xianyi, a 50-year-old bank employee from
central China, was among the first to arrive at Hong
Kong Disneyland on a recent Sunday, an hour and a half
before the park opened. By midmorning, he was front
and center in a crowd, tapping his feet at a show
celebrating the songs of "The Hunchback of Notre
Dame," "Mulan," "The Little Mermaid" and Woody, the
talking cowboy doll from "Toy Story." "I liked the rhythm of the show, from adventure to romance, from exciting to comfortable. It fits both children and adults," said Huang, on a break with a friend from a training program in Hong Kong. "All those stories remind me of my childhood." He said the $46 entrance ticket didn't bother him, nor did the all-English narration on the Winnie the Pooh ride. "I don't expect to see many Chinese things in Disneyland," Huang said. "I came to see different things, fresh things." His friend agreed. "The staff service and attitude is very good. They're more professional than those theme parks on the mainland," said Zheng Feiyue, 43, a bank employee from a city in Sichuan. A pleasant experience at the park is considered especially important by some in Hong Kong because, as taxpayers, they helped foot the bill. After the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, at a time when restoring confidence in Hong Kong was crucial, the government paid $2.9 billion to build the park. Disney, meanwhile, paid $314 million for a stake in the project. As a result, the company's failure to disclose specific attendance or revenue figures rubbed Hong Kong citizens the wrong way. "They do need to improve communications with the public and ensure that they connect with the community," said John Ap, a theme park expert from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. On a recent Sunday, Li Qiyun, 35, a mother from Guangzhou, brought her 6-year-old daughter, Wen Haiying, to Disneyland, along with her mother and an uncle. Li paid about $223 for four train tickets and park admission. They saved money by staying with relatives, but Li's mother complained just the same. "It's too expensive, too expensive. Not worth it," muttered Kang Runhao, 60, taking a seat on the spotless Disney train that connects Hong Kong's subway system to the park. But by the end of the day, a 10-hour marathon capped by fireworks over Cinderella's castle, the park's spotless service had won over the mainland family. "What impressed me most is the toilet. It's really good," said Li. In September, Hong Kong Disneyland announced that just over 5 million people visited the park in its first year of operation, a figure that included promotional giveaways and fell just short of its target of 5.6 million visitors. Disney has said that its Shanghai park is unlikely to be built before 2010. "Understanding the Chinese market takes time," Ap said. "Hong Kong Disneyland is basically the pilot case study for them. Certainly they'll be a lot more wary when they go into China." |
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This year, Annual Passholders can experience the
Disneyland Resort's Candlelight Ceremony in a whole
new light. The Resort is offering the opportunity to
enjoy a special dinner at one of six restaurants at
the Resort, followed by premium seating for this
year's Candlelight Ceremony in Disneyland Park on
December 2 and 3.
The ceremony, which has been a Disneyland tradition for 45 years, will feature a 600-member choir accompanied by the Disneyland Orchestra, along with a celebrity Guest Narrator who will retell the story of "The First Christmas" in a powerful tapestry of narrative and music. Showtimes both nights are 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Because of the very special nature of this event,
each participating restaurant has prepared a menu of
its finest offerings.
At Napa Rose, the Resort's crown jewel of fine dining, APs can enjoy an exclusive four-course Vintner's Menu, featuring a seasonal selection of the best Chef Andrew Sutton and his Napa Rose Culinary Team have to offer. Price per person is $125, non-alcoholic beverages included. Seating times for this AP-exclusive dinner package are 3:30 p.m. (for the 5:30 p.m. showtime) and 5:30 p.m. (for the 8:00 p.m. showtime). You may also choose to dine at Granville's Steak House, which combines the traditions of the great American steak house with elegant fine dining; The Vineyard Room, located inside Disney's California Adventure Park, where gourmet California cuisine is the specialty; or the newly redesigned Yamabuki, featuring delicious Japanese specialties. Guests of these restaurants will enjoy a three-course meal, including non-alcoholic beverages, for $75 per person. Also available as part of the Candlelight Dinner package are Hook's Pointe, serving mesquite-grilled favorites, and Storytellers Café, offering fresh and delicious American cuisine. Dinner at these two restaurants will include a starter, entrée and dessert, plus nonalcoholic beverages, for $50 per person. Availability at each of the restaurants is limited, so be sure to make your reservations as early as possible, beginning November 5, at disneyland.com/ap. |
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New model
Disney roars ahead
Beset by problems only last year, the empire has been turned around by Robert Iger. A one-time weatherman with an instinct for American family values has brought back the good times at Walt Disney, the sprawling entertainment empire that is enjoying a renaissance on Wall Street and in cinema box offices. Robert Iger, who began his career as a forecaster
on a local television channel in New York state, took
over as chief executive of Disney in October last
year. At the time, vicious infighting and a struggling
animation business had cast a cloud over the so-called
Magic Kingdom. Disney's ABC is the most watched US television network, a Disney production, High School Musical, is the top-selling CD of the year and even the theme parks, which once appeared tired, have flourished amid promotions to mark Disneyland's 50th anniversary. The company's shares have rocketed by 42% in 12 months - making them second only to General Motors among Wall Street's top performing blue-chip stocks of the year. It is a remarkable turnaround for a company that was slammed just a few years ago by Walt Disney's nephew, Roy, as "rapacious, soulless and always looking for the quick buck". Iger, 54, has a reputation as a likeable, collegiate character in contrast to the polarising charisma of his predecessor, Michael Eisner, to whom he served as number two for five years. Insiders say he has softened the culture of the 133,000-strong company. "He's created a different management environment," one said. "He's got a management team, as opposed to a set of management subordinates. He's put an emphasis on creating an environment where creativity can flourish." Disney's $7.4bn acquisition of Steve Jobs's animation studio Pixar, agreed in January, marked a key turning point. Pixar has since provided the smash hit Cars - and the takeover has put paid to doubts about Disney's ability to switch from pen-and-paper cartoons to all-digital production. Shortly afterwards, Iger announced that Disney's movie arm was to be slimmed down and sharpened in focus to concentrate on family entertainment. Edgy thrillers such as Pulp Fiction - which was made by Disney's Miramax division - are out. A re-release of the Little Mermaid is in. Hundreds of jobs were axed. Furthermore, a deal with Apple to show Disney content on iPods has helped the group re-cast itself as a technological pioneer. Significantly, Iger has dismantled Disney's strategic planning department, preferring to decentralise longer-term thinking to the group's four individual businesses: movies, theme parks, television and consumer goods. Peace talks with Roy Disney have healed the rift with the founding family. One former executive told the New York Post: "Bob's made that all seem like a distant memory by returning the company to the thinktank-like campus it once was." Populist announcements have helped improve the company's image. Last month, Disney declared it intended to cut all ties with unhealthy food. The Incredibles and Nemo will no longer encourage children to eat hamburgers and sugary sweets - although they may, says a spokesman, still help sell healthier items at fast-food chains. The changes are clear in Disney's bottom line. Net profits for the year to September jumped 33% to $3.37bn. The biggest improvement came from films, where earnings leapt from $207m to $729m. But theme parks rose 30% to $1.53bn, helped by a new Hong Kong Disneyland and two hikes in entry prices. The group's media networks turned in a healthy 11% rise in revenue to $14.6bn, aided by hits such as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy and Monday Night Football. Even consumer products, such as Disney souvenirs, posted a 14% rise in operating profit to $618m. There are still plenty of challenges. Richard Greenfield, an analyst at New York-based Pali Research, says per-capita spending at Disney World shows signs of underlying weakness and a lack of hotel rooms could begin to tell. Furthermore, an important negotiation is coming up to renew Comcast's deal to carry Disney's ESPN sports network. In a recent research note, Greenfield added that Disney's venture into mobile telephones - with a feature allowing parents to track their offspring electronically - is looking wobbly: "We never understood ESPN mobile and we do not understand Disney Mobile. With all the major cellular carriers offering child locator features, we wonder how committed Disney is to being in the cellular business, particularly as losses begin to mount." This year will be a tough act to follow for Disney but Iger has some more tricks up his sleeve. The company has high hopes for the next Pixar animation, Ratatouille, which will open in the summer. Then there is the third instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End. For the Magic Kingdom, the sun shines on. A coup in the Magic Kingdom An awkward era for the Disney empire began in 2003, when Walt Disney's nephew, Roy, resigned with a blistering attack on the company for losing "its focus, its creative energy and its heritage". The 76-year-old began a "Save Disney" campaign to remove the then chief executive, Michael Eisner, who was accused of presiding over box-office flops, a declining ABC network and a cost-cutting programme that left theme parks looking scruffy. As the damaging battle raged, Disney's shares turned downwards and creativity suffered - few remember films such as Home on the Range and Brother Bear. Adding to the distraction, a shareholder lawsuit raged over an eye-watering $140m (£74m) severance package provided in 1996 to Michael Ovitz, who ran the company for only 16 months before being ousted. The litigation was resolved only when a judge ruled in Disney's favour last year. After weathering Roy Disney's attacks for more than 18 months, Eisner finally retired last year and the firm picked his long-serving deputy, Robert Iger, below, as a successor. The founder's nephew chimed in once more, declaring that the recruitment process had been a sham and that Iger was merely Eisner's clone. Diplomacy, patience and a declaration of independence from Iger have finally healed the rift - and the Disney family appears once more to be united. |
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Riders
hit by power outage at Epcot
A
power outage Sunday night left dozens of tourists
stranded briefly on a ride at Disney's Epcot theme
park. |
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There's An Exciting New Development At The Disneyland
Resort This Season
What if you could have your family's magical Disneyland memories captured by a professional photographer and available to you to view and share online-without ever having to wait in line? Well, now you can with Disney's PhotoPass service, an exciting and innovative new service available to Guests of the Disneyland Resort Theme Parks. It's like having your own personal photographer so you can be in the picture—instead of taking it. Plus, there's no charge for the service—all you have to do is register online. Here's how it works: 1. Have your photo taken by one of our Disney's PhotoPass photographers in either of the Disneyland Resort Theme Parks. They'll give you your own Disney's PhotoPass card, which you can use over and over again throughout your visit. 2. When you get home, just enter the number from the back of your card at DisneyPhotoPass.com and all your photos will be displayed for you to enjoy. But be sure to log on as soon as possible, because your photos are only available for 30 days! 3. Once you retrieve your photo memories online, you can:
Find out more about this exciting new development at DisneyPhotoPass.com |
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Disney and
Target call truce
Target and the Walt Disney Co. have apparently reached a cease-fire agreement in their battle over DVD pricing. Target had begun taking down some signs advertising Disney DVDs and moving others to unfavorable locations after Disney refused to lower the wholesale prices of the products to the level of those offered by Apple on its iTunes online store. Disney, however, observing that DVD buyers receive many "extras" with their purchases, reacted by threatening not to provide new releases -- including Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest -- to Target. However, on Saturday the Los Angeles Times reported that the two sides had reached a settlement in which Target would restore the in-store Disney ads in return for a licensing deal that would allow it to sell a Winnie the Pooh product line made exclusively for the chain. In reporting on the deal, disclosed by sources who "asked not to be identified because the subject remains tense," the Times commented: "If Target had imposed drastically reduced shelf space on Disney, other studios would have been more reluctant to make their own cut-rate deals with Apple, which wants uniform pricing in its catalog." Currently Disney films are the only studio films available in Apple's catalog. |
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Hit Movie Sequel to Be Filmed in St. George
St. George will be the location for "High School Musical Two" - the sequel to the runaway hit Disney movie that won two Emmys and was the highest-ever rated cable feature in history. The first film was shot in Utah and has spawned a cottage industry of tourists visiting scene locations like East High. State officials have approved a $500,000 incentive for the sequel, contingent on Disney hiring most of its crew in-state. Film Commission Director Aaron Syrett says the movie needed a warmer climate, so Southern Utah was in competition with California and Australia. Utah gave Disney $260,000 to film the first one in Utah. This time, Disney's budget is nearly double - as is the state's incentive. The original film's stars will also be featured in the sequel. |
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In Asia ONLY Under the scheme two families of a couple and a child will get a free trip. Winners will be chosen randomly and announced at the McDonald's restaurants at the end of the promotion, which concludes on December 10. The 'Hong Kong Disney Land Contest' is available at all McDonald's restaurants across Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bangalore and Hyderabad from November 20. |
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Three more Pee Wee cheerleading squads going to Disney Three more local Pee Wee
cheerleading squads teams learned yesterday they will
be heading to Disney World for the national
championships next month. "We're very excited," said Truppa. "We've been in Pee Wee over 40 years." The Carteret Sportsmen Bulldogs Junior Midget Large Intermediate also placed first yesterday in the Eastern Regional Intermediate Cheer Championship at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, according to Truppa. The Monroe Wolverines Junior Pee Wee Large Intermediate placed second, also earning a spot in the Pop Warner Cheer and Dance National Championships at Disney's Wide World of Sports, Truppa said. Only teams placing first and second move on to nationals. Squads that won earlier in the weekend, including the East Brunswick/Spotswood Golden Bear Chargers, were still savoring their victories yesterday as they anticipate the Florida trip early next month. "We've made history in our organization," said Laura Bacskoczky, Golden Bear Chargers assistant chair commissioner. "This is the first time any of the cheerleaders have made it to nationals." The squad's Pee Wee Small Novice division team placed second on Saturday to secure a spot at nationals. Besides tough competition, the Golden Bear Chargers had to deal with a team member who broke her wrist Nov. 12. "We had to redo our entire routine in just a week," said Bacskoczky. "We've really overcome adversity, but they're going to Disney." |
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Sunday November 19, 2006 |
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An Oklahoma toymaker has put up a roadblock against
media giant The Walt Disney Co. and its hit movie
“Cars,” alleging trademark infringement.
In a federal lawsuit filed last month in Oklahoma City, Collectible Promotional Products Inc. of Woodward, Okla., claims Disney and toy company Mattel Inc. incorrectly used a similar trademark to its “Real Cars” line of collectible toy cars. CPP said it has been using a chevron design with the words “Real Cars” above it since 1994. The company applied for a federal trademark, which was granted in 1998. CPP contracted with Mattel to make and package limited numbers of Hot Wheels toy cars such as the Carroll Shelby Limited Edition 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C. “Cars,” which Disney’s Buena Vista studio released in June, so far has made $244 million at the U.S. box office. That makes it the No. 2 movie of the year behind “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” Disney applied for federal trademark protection for its design – a chevron with the word “Cars” inside an oblong shape – in late 2004. The company said it would apply the trademark to scores of products, including fruit drinks, jewelry and toy cars. In conjunction with the movie’s release this summer, Mattel began selling toys licensed from “Cars” characters such as Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen. A Mattel spokeswoman said the company does not comment on litigation. A spokesman for Disney said the company is reviewing the lawsuit but has no comment. Lea Knight, owner of CPP, said the company sold six lines of Real Cars collectibles made by Mattel in limited batches of 10,000 each. “We’ve been using that design on our invoices and Web site for the last few years,” Knight said. A portion of the sales went to children’s charities, he said. That stemmed from a need to give back after the Shriners paid for the treatment of his son, Logan, for childhood arthritis. With its deep pockets, Disney is a frequent target of lawsuits related to its movies. But the company also aggressively polices its own trademarks, recently cracking down on stores in Los Angeles that sold counterfeit pinatas based on Disney characters. Rachel Blue, an intellectual property expert at law firm Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson LLP in Tulsa, Okla., said trademark infringement lawsuits have increased in the past few decades as companies ascribe more value to their brands. “That’s your identity as a company, so people are a little more concerned about that,” said Blue, who is not involved in the Oklahoma case. “Trademarks are assets, just like anything else, and you want to protect those.” Blue said the law places trademarks along a continuum, with coined terms such as Exxon less susceptible to infringement actions. Companies such as Apple are protected, too, because it sells computers, not fruit, and no reasonable person would confuse the two. At the other end of the scale are generic words in everyday use, such as “tree,” which cannot be trademarked. Blue said CPP’s case against Disney and Mattel is a close call, but trademark law tends to favor the company who used the mark first. “Disney appears to have adopted the same elements the prior user had,” she said. “There’s a similarity of marks and goods involved with the toy cars, so this makes it a much more difficult question.” |
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Selected radio programs from the Earth & Sky science
radio series have been incorporated into a traveling
exhibition on nanotechnology. The exhibition -- called
"Too Small to See" -- opens mid-November in
INNOVENTIONS at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
"Partnering with Earth & Sky has given 'Too Small to See' access to a science radio series that is recognized nationally," said Dr. Carl Batt, a Cornell University professor who directed the "Too Small to See" project. "Our exhibition provides a unique format and venue for learning about nanotechnology, as well as a chance for more guests to be exposed to the fantastic radio programming offered by Earth & Sky." According to Dr. Batt, "'Too Small to See' explores the wonders of the emerging field of nanotechnology and lets the visitor enter this world from the perspective of life at the atomic scale." The exhibit will be located in INNOVENTIONS East, one of two buildings in the pavilion at Epcot that house exhibits designed to help guests discover and understand science and technology. INNOVENTIONS is located in the heart of Epcot and is an over 100,000-square-foot attraction filled with hands-on, interactive exhibits where visitors from around the globe can discover how science and technology simplify and enhance their lives. Earth & Sky radio programs on recent discoveries in the nanotech field -- such as carbon nanotubes and quantum dots -- are featured in the exhibition at INNOVENTIONS. These radio programs "help the visitor make the jump into the world that is too small to see," according to Dr. Batt. "There is an Earth & Sky 'nook' within the larger exhibit," said Dr. Batt, "where visitors can listen to the radio programs. Elsewhere in the exhibit, there are Earth & Sky radio programs that have been mixed with pictures to create an audio and visual experience through which the visitor can learn about nanotechnology and its applications." The exhibition which took more than two years to create, was a collaborative effort between Cornell University, the Sciencenter and Painted Universe all located in Ithaca, NY. It was funded by the National Science Foundation. After its unveiling at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot, "Too Small to See" will be on display at science museums throughout the United States as part of the Sciencenter's traveling exhibition program. |
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There's
Something About Mary
Mary Poppins was always a cultural oddity. Created by P. L. Travers in a series of books begun during the Depression, she was enchanting to generations of children for her magic powers—she could fly and talk to animals—and a little frightening because she was awfully strict and not the least bit sentimental. But the Mary Poppins kids know today is different. She's from the beloved Disney classic, and no matter how starchy and no-nonsense Julie Andrews tried to be, she was always sparkly, cheerful and had the most beautiful smile. So news that another kind of Mary Poppins was flying with her parrot-head umbrella onto Broadway this season caused a small storm, like the wind that blows the nanny to the Banks' front door. If this Mary Poppins was more like the one in the books, just how strict was she going to be? And was the show really darker—so dark in fact that in London, where it opened in 2004, someone dubbed it "Scary Poppins"? My goodness, there'll be tears before bedtime! Yes, the "Mary Poppins" that opened on Broadway last week is not nearly as sunny and sweet as the Disney film. But it's a lot more interesting. The world's most iconic nanny turns out to be a resilient figure, one who adapts neatly to cultural expectations. Travers's original Mary Poppins—eccentric and ornery but with a deep, omnipotent goodness that her charges loved—seemed to stem from the writer's own bereft childhood. When Walt Disney repackaged her in 1964, the nanny carried a prefeminist message: once Mary Poppins straightened out the Banks family, Mrs. Banks was happy to give up her suffragette marches and stay home with the kids. That theme didn't come from Travers—Disney had moved the story back to 1910 and brought the parents to the fore—and she hated the movie so much she wept at the Hollywood premiere. Now in the new "Mary Poppins," we have contemporary pop psychology. The Banks family may live in Edwardian England, but their brand of dysfunction could land them on Dr. Phil. Mrs. Banks is a desperate housewife, Mr. Banks an emotionally stunted workaholic—and their adorable kids, Jane and Michael, only act out because they crave attention. Toying with a classic can be dangerous, which is one reason why Mary Poppins's flight to the stage has been long and bumpy. Disney couldn't turn its own film into a show because the studio never bought the theatrical rights. Yet the man who did snap them up, legendary British producer Cameron Mackintosh, didn't want to do a musical without "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and the rest. The two entertainment titans tried to make a deal, but tussled over creative control. In 1993, Mackintosh had paid a call on Travers in her modest terrace house in London. "She was 93, frail but very sharp, sitting ramrod at the window," he recalls. "She was firm in her view that she didn't want to see the movie on the stage." But Mackintosh persuaded her that the Disney songs should be in the show, though Mary Poppins would be closer to Travers's original. Years later, when Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, sought to revive a deal with Mackintosh, he engineered a quiet meeting. "He wanted to find out for himself what all the crazy rumors around Hollywood really were about the dark and evil version of Mary Poppins I was planning," says the veteran producer with a laugh. "And when I told him what I did want, he said, well, that's exactly the kind of show he'd like to do." Their reimagined "Mary Poppins" goes beyond the movie in its stronger story line and its many moods. Most striking is a new number—found in neither the books nor the film—called "Temper, Temper," where the nursery turns into a courtroom and Jane and Michael are tried for naughtiness by their frighteningly oversized toys. Mary Poppins herself (Ashley Brown) is relentlessly brisk (and a little too smug). But it is Mr. Banks who is the show's surprising psychological centerpiece. Turns out he was a victim of emotional abuse by his childhood nanny—a comically horrifying figure called the Holy Terror plucked from one of the later Travers books. But he finds his own inner child and learns to express his love to his kids. That's the Dr. Phil part, but trust us, there are misty eyes in the audience when little Michael Banks finally gets his father's love, with the gift of the kite. Mackintosh and Disney brought great talent to this show, including choreographer Matthew Bourne, who's staged such spectacular dances as "Step In Time" with the chimney sweeps, and designer Bob Crowley, whose sets—especially the amazing upstairs/downstairs house—almost steal the show. At the end, Mary Poppins makes a supercalifragilistic exit, flying into the theater's balcony. And while we didn't find the entire show quite as wondrous as that last brilliant bit, we'd richly enjoyed the splendid theatrics and getting to stay up past bedtime. |
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Disneyland hones relations in China
China continues to be a priority market for Hong Kong Disneyland as the theme park dives into its second year. The challenge is dealing with clients who haven't grown up with Disney, let alone a Disney park, said Josh D'Amaro, veep of sales and trade marketing, speaking at a press confab at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel on Tuesday. This means Disney must explain what's beyond the front gate, he said. The region's diversity also means clients are vastly different from area to area and country to country. It wasn't an easy start because the park, which opened Sept. 12, 2005, came into a market without a track record, D'Amaro said. He said the park still had adjustments to make, adding that that was the case of even long-standing parks. He is tapping the travel trade industry's expertise and taking its members' comments seriously on sales and trade marketing initiatives for 2007. Some initiatives prompted by talks with the industry include Stay and Play, which gives guests who stay at a Disneyland hotel a second day in the park free. This came to be after travel agents in China said people who take a tour bus to Hong Kong Disneyland were too tired after half a day on the bus to enjoy the park. The park has more than 100 contract wholesalers and links to more than 300 retail travel agents in the region. "By listening to the industry, Hong Kong Disneyland has introduced flexible tickets options, improved commissions for bulk ticket purchases, and enhanced training and marketing support," said Yiu Sy-wing, deputy general manager of China Travel Service (Hong Kong). "Each of these initiatives has helped us to drive more sales and maximize revenue." Yiu was given the 2005-06 Hong Kong Disneyland wholesaler award Tuesday. Other initiatives include regional road shows -- D'Amaro is in the middle of a 14-city tour in China to introduce the park's Christmas theme. The park attracted more than 5 million visitors in its first year, split about one-third from Hong Kong, one-third from mainland China and one-third from Southeast Asia and other countries. However, these numbers fluctuate dramatically according to the season, D'Amaro noted. The summer, for example, saw more than half the park's attendees come from China. D'Amaro declined to give a target figure for 2007 and also declined to comment on a second phase at the park. "This park will grow and change," he said, adding that more plans were in the works. |
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| Back News |
"The
first time you sail into Hawai'i, it's a very
emotional experience," Disney said. "It's something
they'll never forget."
After
the parade, Flyer and his alternate, Fryer, found a
cozy home at Santa’s Reindeer Ranch in the park’s
Frontierland. 
Creating
animated TV series is a different process than feature
animation, with short deadlines, tight budgets and
unique production pipelines. People learn to think
quickly and trust their instincts, even trying things
that are not being done in the feature world – often
out of necessity.
With
the "Lethal Weapon" star's controversial anti-Semitic
comments still resonating in the film community, Disney
will try to focus the public's attention on the film
with an hour long ABC special set to air Thursday night,
the Los Angeles Times reported. 
Among
them: a Minnie Mouse beanie baby in a Japanese kimono,
Mickey Mouse in German lederhosen and Pluto in a Viking
hat, each for $9 (available at Epcot's World Showcase
shops;) or the movie pistol, packaged in a shadow-box
and gold frame, with a mini movie poster signed by Depp,
Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush, for a
mere $4,500 at the Starabilia’s shop in Downtown Disney.
The
trip from 
"My
dream has come true!" exclaimed Jasmine upon
learning of her new role. "It is a great honor for
me to be entrusted with the important role of
representing Hong Kong Disneyland. I will do my best
to share the unique Disney experience with our
Guests from around the world and serve the community
together with our great Disney VoluntEARS." 
He
heads home for the upcoming five-day tour of Disney on
Ice's production of Disneyland Adventure at the
Pacific Coliseum at the PNE opening tomorrow until
Nov. 26. 
Walt
Disney's Funny Factory With Huey, Duey & Louie
Volume 4 
